Sether: Hidden, Unseen
by LunarBlade Valentine
Summary: The son of Vincent goes on a quest. The daughter of another hero joins. They can't stand each other, and that's bad because she's the only one who can save him, and he's the only one who can save the world! Not your regular OC! Try it! Finished!
1. Sether: Pruloge

Sether: Hidden, Unseen: Prologue

Prologue 

Knock knock knock.

"Who is it?" A middle aged woman ran to the door. The storm outside was raging at full might and the woman wondered who would travel on such a day. This woman was once much more vigorous and strong, but years of peace took it's toll.

No reply came from the door's direction. Or maybe there was and the rain drowned every sound.

She hastily unlocked the door and opened it.

An impressively tall man stood there, he was wearing a big, black trench coat, a broad rimmed hat (either he was bold or held his hair in the hat) and surprisingly enough, sunglasses.

He looked up at her and smiled a faint smile.

"Hello." He said, his voice deep and harmonic. The woman found it vaguely familiar.

"Do come in!" The woman cried, seeing the man had no umbrella and was dripping wet.

He nodded his head in thanks. The woman moved from the doorway to let him in.

The man entered the house, being sure to wipe his feet on the mat before he did.

"Care to warm by the fire?" the woman suggested. By her nature she was trusting and optimistic, and come what may, she still had it in her to protect herself. Her husband stayed home today as well, so there was nothing to fear even from this formidable looking young man. She noticed he was carrying a big wooden staff on his back with strange markings on it.

"If I may.." the man replayed.

He took off his trench coat, and the woman's eyes widened to see that he was wearing a crimson shirt with a collar that was open to the stomach, showing that he was very muscular, but in a lean way.

He smiled as the woman stared, then she looked up to him and coughed uncomfortably, hanging his drenched trenchcoat on the hanger behind her.

"The hat?" she suggested him to take it off.

Uncertainly, he reached to his hat and took it off.

Here the woman audibly gasped as the flow of silver hair streamed down his shoulders and back. Two pointy bangs bounced before his delicate face. She was able to calm herself from her fears as she noticed that a single lock of his hair was not silver, but jet black- painting one of his bangs black as well.

She could not resist anymore, and as she hung the hat by the coat she asked,

"Who **are you?"**

"My name is Sether, Mis Lockheart," He said, "Sather Valentine."


	2. Sether: Sephiroth

Sether, Part 1: Sephiroth

**Sephiroth: **

****

**Act I**

Tifa, now in her mid thirties, blinked in confusion. Sether smiled at her reaction and shrugged, as if saying 'That's the truth'.

"…Come to the fire." She said, leading him to the living room, where she could inquire more.

"Cloud, dear?" She went to one of the sofas. The only thing Sether could see from the entrance to the room were pointy edges of blond hair.

The man called Cloud turned around and actually yelped as he saw Sether.

Sether noticed how Mr. Strife's eyes glowed with mako energy even after all the years that passed.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he started, taking one step into the room. He saw two girls siting on the rug before the fire, one seemed to be around sixteen, and the other about eight. 

"I am Sether Valentine. I am the son of a man you once knew, Vincent Valentine."

The girls continued with their playing while their parents looked at the tall stranger with astonishment all over their faces.

Sether smiled again, this was the first time he ever met the famous Tifa and Cloud Strife that his father told him about, it was no surprise to him that they did not recognize him. His smile was cold as his composer, yet was not fake or deceiving.

"Vincent has a son?" Tifa asked with disbelief. 

"I am his only living son." Sether replied, and took off his slim sunglasses. Cloud burst out with laughter,

"You're Vinnie's son, all right." 

Tifa looked more puzzled by the minute, she turned from her husband and met Sether's eyes, then she too smiled.

His eyes were just like his father's, intelligent, morose, cold, and above all- Red.

"Come, come! Sit by the fire, you look cold." Cloud invited. Sether came and sat in a sofa near the fire by Cloud.

"Would you like something warm to drink?" Tifa asked. Sether thought a moment and nodded once,

"Coffee, please." He said.

Tifa left to the kitchen.

Sether was glad to be out of that storm, he extended his hands to warm them.

Cloud's two kids were staring at him suspiciously, and the older one was bluntly looking at his exposed chest.

He smiled a crocked smile.

"If I may be so blunt to ask you, Sether-" Cloud said, not without some uneasiness,

"Just call me Seth, please."

"-Seth- Who is your mother?"

Tifa came back and gave him his coffee, he took it, thanked her and then leaned forward in his chair, bringing the cup close to his face and swirling it. He stared deep into the fire.

"My mother's name is Lucrecia."

"She's… She's alive?" Tifa asked,

"Well, obviously…" He replied.

"How old are you, if I may ask?"

Sether sipped from the smoldering coffee,

"I was born nine months and a day after the destruction of Meteor." He drank again.

Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances.

"How come?"

"My parents met a day after Meteor was destroyed," He elaborated, then added with his crocked smile, "Nine months after that day, I was born."

Cloud and Tifa smiled and looked at their children,

"These are our children," Tifa mentioned the two girls, "this is Alantra," she mentioned the older one, "she's called after Cloud's mother- Alantra, don't be rude, say hello…"

Alantra didn't even turn to look, just waved a vague wave with her hand saying, "Yo."

"That's Sioyra" now she mentioned the younger, "It is an Ancient's name. Our youngest son is called Ryo, but I believe he's sleeping right now…" she smiled at Sether, "We decided not to call any of our children any… familiar names. We wanted no reminder of what had happened. Though…" Here she looked at Cloud for confirmation, "…We're considering calling out next daughter Aeris." Tifa absently placed her hands on her stomach.

Cloud looked into the fire with a slight frown.

Sether, honestly, couldn't care less.

A long silence.

Like his Dad, Sether would usually speak only if spoken to, and usually his replies, like his father's, were evasive and unsatisfying- unless he needed to share information.

"But- by the looks of you," Tifa looked at him with concern in her honey eyes, "That means you… Your…"

"I am Sephiroth's brother." He said much more icily than usual. "I am his much, much younger brother."

"Wow…" Cloud and Tifa said in unison.

"I can assure you, though, that I lack certain things that he had." He tried to smile to ease the atmosphere, "I am quite sure that I lack that certain spark of insanity my brother was so famed for."

Silence. Siting in the same room with the brother of the greatest enemy of the planet ever was a bit hard for the couple, no matter how much of the river of time washed by.

"So…" Cloud spoke first, "How is the old spook?"

Sether smiled again,

"Frankly, Mr. Strife, my Dad is not good."

Cloud gave him a surprised look, so did Tifa,

Taking a deep breath, Sether said, "My father and I were exploring an old Mako reactor when we were attacked. We tried to fight back, but were out numbered greatly. We fell into the Mako pit, and when I we got out, my Father suffered from Mako poisoning, and is unconscious even now. My Sensei told me to find a companion from one of my father's old friends if I wanted to seek out the people who attacked us and a cure."

His voice was so emotionless the whole tale, he almost sounded bored with it.

"That's horrible!" Tifa exclaimed, Cloud looked shocked as well. "I fear that we can't help you though… We're busy with the children, and none of them are old enough to travel…"

"I understand." Sether said, "I would not dream of stealing any of your children on some dangerous journey, I am simply following the orders of my Sensei."

"Who might that be?"

"Master Yuffie Kisaragi of the Kisaragi school of martial arts." He said, and was curious why did the Strifes smile so widely. He said nothing.

He got up.

"What, are you leaving so soon?" Cloud inquired, getting up as well.

Sether nodded, "I thank you for your hospitality, as brief as it may was, but I hurry to Mr. Highwind's house so I might get there before dark, and I am eager to find a companion so I could start my campaign and kick those basterd's ass."

Cloud smiled and extended his hand, Sether took it with a gloved hand.

"I wish you good luck, and you're invited to our home whenever you're around."

Sether thanked them and left. 

The storm was gone, leaving everything wet and fresh. The sun sparkled upon the tiny drops of water on the plants and warmed the chilly air. Sether trekked the hills towards Nibelheim Mountains. He will have to cross them to reach Rocket City.

He stuck his hands in his trench coat pockets and looked at the grass that went under his feet.

Catching a Chocobo was useless; the good ones that could run over hills were too expensive, and the regular ones couldn't take him across the mountains, so he didn't need them.

He wondered if his father woke up already, but knew he didn't. Mom told him she would call his PHS the second he did. He remembered the incident that brought his Dad's coma;

He had just returned from his Martial Art school on a short leave and Dad wanted to show him Mako- The magical substance that glowed with the same might as it did almost twenty years earlier. 

After Dad was declared comatosed by the old Doctor from Medeel, Sether decided to go and find those bastards. It wouldn't help Dad, but it will perhaps heal the need for revenge that Sether felt so strongly.

After that he went to his Sensei to ask her to leave the school for a while, she smiled sadly.

Some said she had soothsayer's abilities.

She asked him if he was sure that's what he wanted to do. He said yes. She then reminded him that he did not finish his training. He said he didn't care, he will return after it is finished and complete his training. She told him to find a companion from one of his father's old friends. Excluding herself, for she must stay and teach.

She gave him her consent and told him to be ever wary. She did not want him to accidentally finish like his brother…

His brother.

Sephiroth.

Everywhere he went, Sephiroth, Sephiroth…

You look so much like Sephiroth… Don't be like Sephiroth… Sephiroth was evil… I'm Sephiroth's younger brother…Sephiroth The Great… Sephiroth The General… War hero… Insane… Sephiroth.

The name haunted him whenever he went.

His sharp ears caught the faintest of sound behind him, and without a word or change of expression, his moves like lightning, he reached to his staff and turned swiftly around to meet three wolves that tried to sneak upon him.

Sether could almost see the disappointment on their faces as they attacked him together.

One got the staff's end in the head just as the other, who came from the other side, got the other end under it's chin. The third locked it's teeth in the middle of the staff. Sether got him off with one fast swoop of the staff.

One was down, two left.

They growled at him and started circling around him. He shifted as well, keeping his staff between him and the beasts.

Both wolves jumped him, but he was ready. He leapt and did an astonishing flip in the air, landing behind them- before they had time to react, they were both unconscious. 

He scanned them with his cool gaze. One was dead, his skull rammed.

Sether slightly frowned. Wolves had such frail skulls, he scowled himself, then left before they will awaken.

Three more encounters on his way made him ponder about the increasing number of monsters lately. He gave it no other thought, though, for he just reached Rocket City- The biggest city since Midgar. It's proximity to the picturesque Nibel mountains and to the sea made it very attractive, and the living legend that resided there was another consideration for the scores of people that lived there.

He stayed a long moment on the high ledge he was on, looking down at the large place. It was sunset, and the city was beginning to come alive with a verity of flashy neon lights and the strange constellations that the streetlights formed.

It was nicknamed 'the big materia', even though no materia was seen in these regions since the times when the thing was common merchandise.

Sether entered the loudest, biggest city in the world not without some hesitation. Living in seclusion all his life, masses made him nervous. He couldn't perceive danger or threat with all the people, cars and general racket.

He walked down the main street. He didn't have to make his way, people moved by themselves to make way for him.

He walked in a strange slalom, trying to avoid the cars and rushing people that ran by without any obvious purpose. He marveled at the bigness of everything, so big and flashy, it made him dizzy.

He stopped and stared at the giant monument of a tilted rocket that was erected to place the old one.

A car screeched to a halt and honked, so Sether moved out of the middle of the street.

After it was long past dark, he arrived to the tenth house that people have misled him to think it was 'The Captain's' house. He knocked and prepared himself to encounter another person that wasn't who he was looking for.

A pretty woman opened the door for him, she had brown hair interlaced with a few strands of grey and she wore glasses. She looked at him inquiringly.

"Hello." He said, trying to smile through his exhaustion, "Is this the Captain's house?"

She nodded, "The Captain isn't home right now, can I leave a message?"

Obvious to Sether, a lot of strange people must of wanted to meet the legendary hero, and few people could actually do so.

"My name is Sether, Miss Highwind, Sether Valentine."

She blinked at him a moment, but then her face softened to a smile. She invited him in.

Confused by the quick and confident recognition, he walked in.

"Cid!" She called, "Vince's son's here!"

"&^*@#!" He heard a voice shout, and smiled.

Just who his father told him.

"Come to the kitchen." She smiled and gestured towards a door. He followed her in.

"Hello!" Said Cid Highwind, his cigarette in his mouth and his blue eyes sparkling. His hair was hardly blond anymore, though.

"Hello." Sether said, still standing in the doorway. "I am-"

"I didn't know the old spook had a son…" Said the old pilot in a somewhat insulted tone.

"My father told me he sent you letters from our new home at Wutai, but never received any reply."

Cid smiled a sad smile, "I should of known… We moved as well. The old house was a bachelors apartment…" He winked at his wife. "This is Shera, my wife." 

Sether nodded his greetings.

"Sit down! Don't tell me you're a stiff like your old man!" Cid slammed his hand on the table, indicating to Sether where he should sit.

Sether sat down obediently.

He received a warm cup of tea without being even asked and he drank it. He felt incredibly tired, he had walked all the way from Gongaga to Cosmo Canyon to Nibelheim to here, and now, in this warm house with these people, his muscles were demanding a break.

He repeated the story for the fourth time this day and was replayed with the worst swears he had ever heard in his life.

"Cid! Calm yourself!!" Shera called out in alarm as the old pilot steamed out more horrible curses. "Your blood pressure!" She reminded him, rushing to him and massaging his shoulders so he'll calm down.

Sether sat with an almost comical stunned expression. His ears almost hurt.

Cid left to his room to get his pills.

Shera sat beside Sether and looked at him with sorrow in her eyes.

"I am sorry…" Sether stuttered, "I did not know it would affect him like this."

"He'll be okey."

"He and my father were close, huh?"

She nodded sadly,

"They were the best friends I ever saw. But I'm afraid that he won't be able to help to on your quest." She sighed, "He's… Even if he refuses to admit it, he's getting older. He's not as athletic anymore as he was twenty years ago." She sighed again and passed her hand in her hair, "Neither am I…" suddenly a sly grin crossed her face. "But maybe…"

She scanned Sether head to toe, but then seemed to notice something,

"You look tired- and you're wounded!"

Surprised, Sether examined himself and found that he had a cut on his left arm. He smiled tiredly at her,

"It is nothing." He assured her.

She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "You're like your Dad, never admitted to anyone when he needed any help."

His smile widened.

"Take your shirt off. I'll mend it for you and tend to your wound. You will sleep here during the night." The last part of the sentence wasn't an offer, it was an order.

Sether obediently took off his shirt and handed it over to her.

"You work out, I see." She said, regarding his very muscular chest without too much excitement. She took her sawing items from above the refrigerator.

He nodded,

"I try." Was all he said.

"Our daughter will be here in the morning. I'll set up the couch so you could go to sleep- you look positively exhausted!"

Sether again nodded. He liked the Highwinds, he understood now why they were his father's best friends.

It was early morning as the door opened and a young lady walked in.

She walked straight to the kitchen where she found Shera making breakfast.

"Hi mother! I'm hom- What?"

Her mother shushed her and pointed towards the living room,

"You'll wake him." She whispered.

The young lady raised one blond brow and peeked to the living room. 

She saw a man sleeping there with his back to her. He had broad shoulders and a flow of silver hair that spilled over the edge of the sofa like a waterfall. One lock of his hair was pure ebony. 

He reminded her of stories she heard about Sephiroth.

She frowned.

"Who's that, mom?" She whispered to her mother as she sat by the table and lifted her legs to it, discarding her books near her feet. "Another vagabond? You and dad seem to collect them."

Shera scoffed and shoved her legs from the table,

"Don't put your legs on the table!" She demanded quietly.

"Dad does it all the time." The woman protested.

Shera placed a hot cup of tea in front of her,

"If your Dad isn't smart doesn't mean you gotta be as well."

The woman took her legs off while she chuckled.

"So who is it this time? Someone from the freak show?"

Shera looked at her with the closest thing that her daughter ever saw to rage. She understood that she was very close to getting slapped across the face.

"S…Sorry…" she mumbled.

Shera looked away and said calmly,

"His name's Sether. He is the son of Vincent Valentine."

Here her daughter got up in surprise,

"Valentine? As in 'The' Valentine?"

Shera nodded.

"You never told me that Mr. Valentine had a son." She sat back again and glanced towards the living room.

"We didn't know ourselves. He will go with you on your trip."

The young woman got up in surprise again,

"Really??" She then hushed herself and asked again "Really?"

Shera nodded,

"He is strong and I know he won't try anything."

Shera's daughter rubbed her chin thoughtfully,

"Maybe he could take me to Mr. Valentine so I could continue my studies…"

Shera told her what happened to Mr. Valentine.

"That's dreadful!" She exclaimed, though she seemed more disappointed than sympathetic.

Shera nodded her head, she missed Vincent and so did Cid.

"I want to interview him so much! He's the perfect person for my project!"

"Don't look at him as some specimen…" Shera scolded her. To her the word specimen had a very significant meaning when referring to Vincent.

"If it weren't for your father," Shera said with a nostalgic smile, "I'm quite sure I would have fallen in love with Vincent."

"Is that so?"

Shera and her daughter turned in surprise to see Sether standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Shera blushed,

"I see you're awake."

He nodded. The young lady stared up at him from her seat. He seemed very smug. It's like he was saying, 'I'm good looking, and I know it.'; the way he crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway.

She frowned.

"I thank you for your hospitality, I have slept well."

Shera smiled,

"That was your father's bed many times."

Sether smiled a wider smile, amused by the thought of his father as an adventurer with no home but this.

"He used to plop down that sofa sometimes after dragging himself and Cid in- both totally drunk."

"I can imagine." He replied with a chuckle and a nod.

"Come! Eat some pancakes!" Shera gestured to a vacant seat beside her daughter, then she remembered something. She placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder,

"Meet our daughter, Katai. Katai, meet Sether Valentine."

For the first time, Sether looked down and saw her.

She was about his age, perhaps a bit younger, with blond hair that reached her waist, she had blue eyes rimmed by gentle gold glasses.

Currently she was wearing a white trenchcoat. 

She was also eyeing him suspiciously, a thing Sether was quite used too because of his 'unique' appearance.

"Hello." He greeted her.

"Hi yourself." She said with slightly more venom than she intended. She didn't like this man at all. Everything about him said 'warrior', and Katai didn't like warriors.

Sether sat down beside her, oblivious to her resent. He thanked Shera again for her hospitality and ate breakfast with them.

"Don't you have a healthy appetite!" Shera laughed as he was eating the last pancake. He stopped mid-chew and looked somewhat embarrassed. He swallowed hard.

"I… Apologize. You make wonderful pancakes, Miss Highwind." He looked at the last pancake in his plate. He had eaten at least half of all the pile.

"It's quite alright!" She laughed, "I'm glad you like them."

"But, mom!" Katai complained, "You said I'll take those pancakes with me on my trip!"

Shera glared at her,

"I can always make more, and he's a guest! Mind you manners!"

Katai grumbled and sent a resentful glare to the man seated beside her, calmly finishing his last pancake.

Katai herself was amazed by how fast he finished the pancakes, and yet managed not to be impolite.

She scoffed again, hoping he would notice and feel uncomfortable.

He finished the pancake with appetite.

Of course he noticed the glare from the corner of his eye, but decided to ignore it.

He wasn't too thrilled to travel with her of all people. He wondered perhaps Marlene was at the right age to travel with him…

"What do you do, Sether?" Shera asked, making some more pancakes.

"I am a warrior, studying under master Kisaragi."

"That's nice.." Shera said.

"Hmph," Katai scoffed yet again, "You like killing, huh?"

He nearly choked on the last of his pancake, a bit surprised.

Shera smiled apologetically,

"Forgive her, she's a sworn pacifistic."

Sether turned to Katai and Shera,

"That's quite alright. Everyone's entitled to their own views." Here he addressed Katai,

"No. I do not like killing, and I do not kill unless I am forced to."

She fluffed her hair in a stuck up manner,

"No one's ever forced to kill."

Sether's smile was one that did not lack some sadness,

"You would be surprised."

Here, surprisingly enough, she scoffed.

"I do not think it is possible to travel these days without a sturdy weapon and a skilled hand." He looked intently at his maple smeared plate and attempted to hint that he would like to see if someone else would like to go with him. After all, he was setting out on a trip of revenge. He certainly didn't mean to find out who attacked them and simply wag his finger at them in a disapproving manner. He wanted to wag his fighting staff between their heads.

Much to his dismay, Shera patted her daughter's shoulder and looked at Sether.

"That's okey. She's got all the brains she needs to get along without a weapon. Besides; you'd be there to protect her!"

Katai was willing to be protected by Sether just as much as he was willing to protect her.

They looked at each other with distrust.

Sether looked away and got up from the table.

"I thank you for your hospitality, I truly do, but I would not dream of taking your only child on a parlous journey like this." He extended his hand to Shera and tried to smile.

Shera smiled back at him. She took Katai's hand and placed it in his large palm,

"I'm sure she'll be okey if she's with you!" she exclaimed happily, closing his hand over Katai's. The later was beginning to turn red with anger.

Again they looked at each other. Then Katai tore her hand from his grip and turned her back to him with a scoff.

Sether turned to Shera to explain that he truly wasn't intending to take her with him, but couldn't say a word as she smiled so gladly at him. He understood that even if she understood that they didn't get along, she didn't care.

He sighed a heavy sigh.

Sether would never dream of disobeying his Sensei, but this was really too much to ask.

Shera showered them with supplies more than was needed. She also showered Sether with a million pleads for him to take good care of Katai.

He promised her that he will.

Again, he didn't really have a choice.

Just before they left, Cid called Sether aside while Shera called Katai to the other side.

"Listen, Sethy," Cid began, putting his arm around Sether's taller shoulders in a friendly manner,

"You're taking my daughter, so I just want to make it clear;" Here he forced Sether to stoop slightly so he would be the same head level as Cid. The pilot whispered, "You bother her in THAT way -and she doesn't like it- and I'll personally clobber you- Vincent's son or not!"

Sether gave him a slightly frightened, meek glance.

Cid laughed heartily and patted him on the back, almost knocking him over.

"If you see your Daddy, tell him I said that I still owe him those 10 Gil."

**Act 2**

Katai waved one last time before turning and catching up with Sether. She was so happy to be setting out on her trip, that she forgot she hated Sether.

"What do you think about my parents?" She asked with a happy skip to her walk once they were far into the due filled fields towards the mountain paths.

Even he smiled,

"They're very nice. I understand my father's stories better now."

Silence fell between them as they trudged through due covered grass. Katai constantly had to skip to catch up every time she fell behind. His strides were long and resolute.

"Though," He began with his lopsided grin, "I must wonder how two nice people such as Mr. And Mrs. Highwind could possibly bring up a brat such as yourself."

Katai's nose wrinkled with disdain,

"Well, it strikes me as odd that the respected Mr. Valentine would have such an idiot as a son. You must be a shame on the Valentine name…" she retorted, trying to control her rising anger.

He did not reply.

Silence again fell between them.

"H- Hey!" She objected after a while, when she had began to pant and tire, "Slow d-down!"

"Walk faster." He ordered her, not even bothering to look behind.

"Where are we going, anyway?" she panted.

"South Corel."

Here she stopped in her tracks,

"South Corel?! But I don't need to go there!"

He stopped as well after a few paces and turned to her, his expression highly amused,

"What does it matter where 'you need' to go?"

Katai grew angry with this,

"Of course it matters, you baka! You're my bodyguard on this trip! Since you're just tagging along, I decide where we're going!"

Sether was both surprised and angry at this new revelation, he took a step forward,

"I am not your bodyguard! You are the one that's tagging along here- I am here to avenge my father!"

Katai contorted her face with anger and also took a step forward,

"What are you saying? My mom told me you're going to be my &#!% bodyguard since I don't wield a weapon!"

He loomed over her and held his finger in front of her flushed face,

"Look here, missy, I don't really need this! I am doing this for my Father and Sensei- you can go home for all I care!"

She stood on her tip toes and held her slightly smaller finger in front of his face as well,

"I think I might! Going along with a smug moron isn't my idea of a research project!"

"Fine! May a monster eat you on your way!"

"Fine! And may you get killed while 'avenging'!"

She then turned around and started back towards her house, her head held high and her eyes closed in annoyance.

"Good riddance…" He huffed after her back was far enough from him.

Now, he would head towards South Corel. He turned and started walking towards the mountains to the southeast. Being alone meant he could take the more dangerous shortcut through the very heart of the mountains. Where it took less time, but the monsters were tougher and the road steeper.

And he really would have taken that road if it weren't for a high pitched shriek from behind him.

He cringed and froze a moment before recognizing its source.

She walked with her held high. She just couldn't wait to talk to her mother about tricking her like that!

Looking up as she did, she didn't seem to notice a rocky surface under her feet and slipped on it, falling on her behind.

She cursed with the fine language she had learned from her father and was about to get up, when suddenly the rock under her started shaking.

She scrambled to her feet and away from the steadily rising gray mass to see that it was a monster.

A large one, at that.

She heard herself shriek out in terror as her feet went numb and her knees weak with fear.

The mighty monster roared with anger and charged her.

Again she shrieked.

Katai simply stood there, her whole body frozen and her eyes wide.

Something very fast suddenly crashed against the monster's face from the side causing it's attack to be directed elsewhere.

Obviously, it was Sether.

He had used his fighting staff to jump and thrust both legs at the monster's head.

"Get out of here!" He yelled, stabilizing himself after his attack and preparing for it's counter.

She was still standing there, her mouth opened wide.

He internally cursed and reverted his attention to the menace before him.

It was a Rokadilo, a monster of stone element that usually slept through the winter. Being autumn as it was, it probably just went to sleep.

When awakened before summer, this monster could be very dangerous in it's wrath. The Rokadilo was quite similar to it's harmless relative, the Armadillo, only that the earlier was bigger, and equipped with sets of claws and sharp fangs. This was a carnivore.

The Rokadilo roared again, bearing it's deadly fangs. It slashed one of it's clawed feet at Sether- he dogged. Sether countered with a stab of his fighting staff in the monster's armpit. Silly as it may sound, it's a relatively unprotected spot.

Katai reclaimed the ability to act and used it wisely: She shrieked again, covering her cheeks with her hands.

This monster was more than twice bigger than Sether was, and after he'll die, it'll go right after her!

Sether swung his staff and hit the monster's eyes. It roared with anger and started slashing about blindly with it's claws. Sether did his best to dodge.

All Katai saw was Sether's form jolt once. Then she screamed again as she noticed the blood on the end of the Rokadilo's claws. She looked with horror at the monster as it blindly rushed towards her.

The Rokadilo wasn't really seeing what it was doing. It was advancing, roaring and slashing everything in its path.

Still haven't regained the ability to run like hell, Katai was yet again stranded before the angry monster.

And yet again, she wished Sether would get off his lazy butt and do something!

An inch before the monster's claws pierced through Katai's frail frame, Sether leapt from the side and knocked her to the ground. This time she screamed because he was bleeding on her from five large cuts in his chest.

He ignored her. His attention on the monster. It was slashing around another few moments, then it seemed to understand that there wasn't anything before it anymore and started looking for them with it's ears and nose.

Shaking with panic, Katai shrieked again in spite herself. Sether, still on top of her protectively, efficiently placed one large palm on her mouth.

Katai wasn't only afraid of the Rokadilo, but of blood as well. Sether was cut, and she felt her stomach twist.

She stayed still a long while, though she was still visibly shaking. Her ragged breaths attracted Sether's attention. He glanced at her once, and her frightened state seemed to amuse him. He returned to glancing back towards the searching monster.

Katai, in the meanwhile, studied his face. Anything but looking at his blood, dripping on to her jacket.

It occurred to her that his features were very pleasant to look at. The lines of his face were angular, perhaps too angular; his nose was almost pointy at it's end, his jaw line firm and straight, his eyes slightly slanted, and were oddly captivating in their unusual color. His hair was held in a tight ponytail. The black lock in it seemed to intensify the pure silver of the rest. Two large bangs constantly dangled in front of his relatively pale face.

With her back to the grass and the strong hand on her mouth, she could not see what the Rokadilo was doing.

She could hear it, though.

After but a few moments, she couldn't hear it anymore.

Katai felt Sether's muscles relax and his gaze shift from the predatory, alert one, to something more normal.

"Aahh! Get OFF me!!" He grunted as she violently shoved and kicked him from her. He rolled on the grass beside her.

She bolted to a sitting position and saw that the coast was clear.

She also noticed that her jacket was damp and red with blood.

Poor Katai started screaming and tried to tear the jacket off her. She closed her now tearful eyes tightly and fought in vain to take the jacket off without unbuttoning it first.

In her hysteria, she felt something unbutton the jacket.

She took it off and dropped it, jumping away from it like it was a rat. Her face, by now, was stricken with hysterical tears, and her breathing was uneven.

Sether stood in front of her with compassion in his eyes.

Something of a smile crept to his lips,

"So that's why you don't fight. You're afraid of blood."

She took a shaky breath,

"O…Only when outside it's designated place…" She sniffed her nose and looked at her discarded jacket on the ground. "You probably find it amusing." She turned her back to him angrily, not wanting him to see her red eyes and tears.

"Not really." He said absently, bending to take her jacket, "I've seen it before. It's one hard phobia to get over."

She did not reply.

"So, you don't have _anything against enemies?" He asked doubtfully, coming closer and trying to peek at her face. She turned around each time._

"I see myself as more of a healer than a warrior." She held her head high and closer her eyes, "I rather grant life than take it."

Sether chuckled,

"I can tell you're a really lousy healer."

Her nostrils flared with anger, yet she did not open her eyes to look at this silver haired warrior,

"And **why do you say ****that?" She asked with venom,**

"Because I'm bleeding to death here and you are not doing one bloody thing!" He pointed at his chest accusingly.

She opened her eyes in surprise and looked at him. The monster had slashed him pretty good.

But it wasn't bleeding anymore.

She blinked in surprise,

"You're not bleeding anymore." She noted.

"Huh?" He looked down to his chest to see that, indeed, the cuts stopped bleeding. They were partially healed, as well.

Katai, forgetting her fears in a sea of curiosity at this fast recovery, came very close to Sether and examined the cuts.

She also noticed that he was very well built.

She blushed as she caught herself admiring him.

Looking up, she saw him smirking that smug smile of his. She slapped him and sat down on the grass.

Sether chuckled and placed a hand on his cheek, amused by her blushed face.

Katai produced her Store materia where she kept her equipment and took out a large roll of bandages and a large bottle of 100% alcohol.

"Come here, you baka, we'll have to disinfect it and bandage it."

Sether started to take his tattered shirt off.

"Damn… My best shirt…"

Katai did not respond. She pored some alcohol onto a clean cotton as he sat beside her, and she started cleaning his wound.

All in all, he was quite pleased with himself.

"You're one lousy fighter." He told her, his voice strained due to the fact the he felt like his chest was on fire.

"Well, so are you- getting cut so easily like that! Pathetic!" she pressed the cotton against his chest, causing him to flinch.

"Without this 'pathetic' warrior, you would have been Rokadilo food now!" he poked her forehead with his index finger.

"Without this pathetic warrior," Here she deliberately pored more alcohol on the cotton just to make him hiss with pain, "I wouldn't have been in this mess. Mind you, I would have probably find me some **handsome warrior to escort me!"**

This seemed to be one of Sether's weak spots, he frowned and pouted,

"Good luck finding anyone who'll agree going with a spoiled brat like your-Youch!"

She burst out with laughter as he brought both hands to his chest where she had sprayed some alcohol directly on his cuts, now almost closed.

"That was mean!"

She laughed some more as he understood that that wasn't the most sophisticated answer. He broke into a small grin as well.

"Your cuts are almost healed!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"It would seem so…" he said. His voice changing from the taunting tone to uncertainty.

"How… how is that possible? Those were nasty cuts!"

Sether shrugged his expression concerned. He looked at the horizon, this was starting to disturb him… It wasn't the first odd thing to happen to him lately.

Act 3 

Katai was still in a rather shaken state, so Sether decided it would be best if they stayed where they were for the rest of the day.

By then Sether had already placed a new shirt over himself.

When it was dusk, Sether pointed towards some trees in the near distance,

"I'm going there to practice my katas. The camp fire will deter any enemies."

By now, his wounds were just scratches. They still hurt a lot, but Sether would not show it.

Once deep enough in the grove, Sether plopped down on a dead tree truck and sighed.

With one finger pulling the collar, he looked down his shirt. The cuts seemed as if a cat caused them, not a 10 feet, man-eating monster.

He sighed and looked up through the trees. A few stars twinkled back at him.

He got up and drew his staff with another sigh.

Practicing always took his mind off things. He needed to think of things other than the few oddities he was discovering in himself lately.

The staff was relatively clumsy in his hands compared to his other weapon, the one he discarded after the 'Ryuto' incident…

It was an accident.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and started over.

He practiced alone between the shadows. His motions were clean and precise, his face etched with concentration. At first he did some elementary moves to warm up, then changed to more intense, quicker attack combinations.

He swung the staff with amazing speed at the air in front of him, when it instantly was stopped.

Sether blinked with surprise at this.

He tugged at the staff, now firmly lodged into thin air. The staff waved slightly, but was still hanging horizontally above ground, as if an invisible hand was holding it's other end.

Confused, Sether removed his hands from the staff.

The weapon stayed still for a moment and then one of its ends was lowered to the ground.

A hand materialized on the staff. It was pale.

An arm started appearing as a natural extension of hands.

Slowly, a whole body was becoming clear in front of his eyes.

Sether's breath was caught in his throat and he started backing up, until his leg hit the log he was sitting on earlier and he fell backwards.

His eyes were wide and his mouth whispered the word in disbelief;

"…Sephiroth…"

-------------------------------------------

Well- the first chapter of the 'Sether' Saga. What do you think? I tried to put some new character to work here, as you probably noticed. Tell me what you think about these characters, please! My purpose here is to make a story where the characters 'evolve'- because, as you see, neither Katai nor Sether are the nicest people...  
I'll be glad to here what you want to see happening, so please, do tell!


	3. Sether: Emergancy

Sether, Part2: Emergancy

Emergency:  
**Act 1 **

Somewhere, deep inside the sea, a creature turned its head. 

Slowly.

It blinked one huge eye. It was confused. Something inside it was beckoning it in a way that it hadn't in several years.

It could be almost be heard sighing in annoyance, as if saying 'here we go again…'.

One gigantic foot after another, it turned 180 degrees and, with the same massiveness that only it could achieve, started trudging through the button of the sea.

Somewhere else, deep inside a thick jungle like forest, a black robed priest was chanting incoherently over a makeshift altar.

Another priest approached him warily. He was dressed less heavily from his mumbling leader.

"Great One?"

The praying stopped. The Great One turned around and gave his underling a piercing glare.

"I have ordered not to disturb me while I am performing The Ceremony!" He growled with an icy voice.

The younger priest fell to his knees and groveled in the dirt, face down.

"Forgive me, oh Great One, but I was requested to inform you that it has moved!" His voice shook with both fear and excitement.

The leader did not react.

The lesser priest continued,

"The Watchers on the northeast shore received news that It has began to move out of pattern…!"

A short pause. Eventually the head priest addressed down at the groveling man.

"What number are you?"

"34, Sir."

A blood-chilling smirk contorted the leader's lips as he said,

"You have done a good service, but for your impatience, you will die now."

Later, No. 30 to 33 came to pick up what remained of No. 34. 

There wasn't much left, anyway.

Later that pleasant afternoon, 'The Great One' was in his hut. The news no. 34 told him were bothering him far more than he showed to his underlings.

Currently, he was striding back and forth inside his jungle-surrounded house, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!?" He hollered at the top of his lungs.

"W… We don't know, Oh Great One…"

The leader smashed the dining table with his bare fist. This caused his robe's black hood to fall from his head, revealing a slender face.

'The Great One' was a man in his mid thirties. His face was delicate and quite elf-like. Around his head flowed a long, luxuriant mane of grass-green hair.

"Are you trying to find out?!"

"Yes… We discovered nothing… S… So far." The other person gulped and continued. The voice was feminine, "With all due respect, Great One, I don't understand your distress… This could mean that _he has returned to us, no?" A certain hope shook her voice._

"Fool! You think I do not know this?!" He looked to his side and struggled to control his agitation. "It is the lack of information that furies me. There is a feeling of something… Unfinished in the air." He turned about swiftly and replaced his hood. "Leave me."

The woman bowed deeply and reverently, and left.

Act 2 

"Things are starting to move, my brothers!" He hoisted his arms to the sky. They gleamed unnaturally.

Nothing showed of his former anxiety but a nervous muscle under his eye.

The few dozen men in the room watched him silently under their dark hoods.

"As you probably know, 'It' has started moving. The time of rebirth is nearly upon us!"

The crowd wavered as excitement washed over them.

"Let us to the altars! The dawning of the end is here! Let The Great One come again!"

The robed figures started chanting a single word over and over, religious exhilaration was everywhere.

The leader lowered his hands and watched the people before him with tired eyes.

There is still much to be done before The Coming. In the midst of the chanting, he left the stage to the more quieter areas.

"Follow it." He ordered his second angrily, "Follow it at every cost and report to me the moment the source shows itself."

The woman nodded and left.

The leader left the collapsing old building in which the meetings were held and walked through the thick jungle around towards his hut. Cursing all the way and brutally killing anything that happened in his way.

Act 3 

A cell asked for more life material. The body did not provide. The body had just run out of that foreign, yet ever so essential substance. The cell sent out a nerval cry of pain and died.

A countless amount of other cells asked for the same thing, but the body could not supply.

----------------------------------------------------

The second chapter... Building up the tension, I hope. Hopefully, this will a pretty long saga, and will grow thicker with time. 'Tis just the beggining, friends.  
^_^; don't worry, I hope It will not stretch more than is needed.


	4. Sether: Night

Sether, Part 3: Night

Night:  Act 1 

An hour later:

It was huge. It had four legs, a hard back, and a mean look about it as it raced towards Katai.

She shrieked.

Sether ran as fast as he could back to the camp.

Upon reaching it, he saw Katai standing on a rock and screaming.

"Please… Tell me _that's not why you are screaming…" He pointed down._

"EEEkk! Kill it! Kill it! It's icky!"

Sether took a deep breath and forced himself to stop panting,

"That is an Iguana."

"It's huge! Kill it!"

Sether placed his palm on his face. His already unstable nerves straining him.

"I thought you were a pacifist?"

"I am, baka! I just don't like bugs!"

Sether didn't move from his despaired position,

"It is a lizard."

The Iguana, bothered by the shrieking human, went away into the darkness.

Katai followed it with her eyes as it left, and once it did so, hopped down the rock. She looked behind Sether and blinked a couple of times.

"Wow." Was all she said.

Sether tiredly glanced back.

There was a clear trail in the grass, leading to Sether's legs. He had run so fast, the grass nearly burned.

He looked at it with apathy for a while, and then returned to Katai.

She was siting in front of the fire and poking at the firewood.

"I'm hungry." She stated.

"Your problem." Sether answered, turning around. He searched the horizon with his eyes, but did not see Sephiroth anywhere. Did it really happen? Was Sephiroth actually there, asking Sether to help him? It seemed so confused… The whole conversation…

'Can't a brother materialize to say 'hi' without being accused?'

Sether couldn't have imagined such a pointless sentence… Right? 

With all the weird things that were happening to him lately, he wasn't sure of his abilities anymore.

Sephiroth was dead. Dead people don't talk. That's one of the things that separate dead people from living people. Dead people don't call you 'Otouto' or ask for help.

If they're dead, it's a bit too late to ask for help.

"Where's your staff?" Katai asked from behind him. Her voice sounded like she was chewing.

Sether's expression quickly changed to a pained one.

Sephiroth really was there. And Sether would have to meet him again if he wanted to ever see his staff again.

"Baka- you forgot it there??"

He didn't answer.

"You ran all the way here without your weapon? How were you planning on killing that thing?"

"That was an iguana." He stated flatly again, he was very tired and very bothered. On top of all things, he had a headache.

He sighed tiredly and turned around, sitting across from Katai by the fire.

"Aren't you going to go fetch your stick?" She teased, her mouth full of travel food.

"It is not there anymore," He said, wondering what made him so certain that Sephiroth left, "Do not annoy me."

He took out some of his food and started eating.

Act 2 

After a while of silence, Katai lowered her tin plate and asked,

"What happens now?"

Sether detached his eyes from his food, collecting his thoughts again. He did his best to hide his fears and concerns. The rising pain in his head and body didn't help.

"What _should happen?"_

She swallowed hard,

"Well… Where do we go tomorrow?"

Sether bent a knee and leaned his elbow on it,

"What do you want to do? Do you want to go home?"

She lowered her eyes, thinking,

"I am willing to escort you back if you want. I might just get to taste your Mother's cooking again." He tried to smile through the steadily rising pain. He closed his eyes tightly and reopened them.

Katai was still looking at her plate, her cute face wrinkled with a thoughtful frown.

Sether tried to get up, but the pain intensified tenfold, bringing him to his knees with a grunt.

Katai looked up. She saw Sether with one hand on the ground for support, the other one on his face. He was visibly shaking. His teeth were clenched and his eyes closed tightly.

She blinked a few times before coming warily to his side.

"Are… you okey?"

His heavy, pained breaths stopped for a moment before he fell unconscious. Katai, scared and concerned, tried to support him from falling to the ground, she grabbed his shoulders, keeping him sitting.

She was something of a physician, but she had no idea what was the matter with him.

"Sether! Sether, say something!"

His eyes twitched open.

"…It's okey…" he whispered, "It happened to me before… It's… nothing."

She slowly released his shoulders, being certain he was capable of supporting himself.

"What happened to you? Are you okey?" She remained by him as he wiped his mouth and tried to wake up.

"Yes." He shook his head to clear up, "It happened to me before… I did not pass out last time… but it was the same."

"What is it? What's wrong? Are you ill?"

She looked intently into his face, checking him,

He looked at her with pained eyes. His expression, though, was neutral.

"I do not know. The last time it happened was not this strong. It was about a week ago." And as a response to Katai's intent examination of his face, "I am fine now, thank you."

Her cheeks flushed, looking into his face, and she forced herself to scuff,

"Well, if something happened to you, who would protect me?"

Sether smiled,

"Ah, it is nice to know I am useful. Not like someone **else here." He poked her forehead.**

"Baka." Here she didn't have to force anything.

"Brat." He was teasing her more than anything else. He was too tired and weak to really argue with her.

She returned to her place by the fire. Sether mumbled something and retreated to his tent, leaving Katai to eat alone. She followed him with her eyes as he stumbled into his tent with a perplexed expression on her face.

Act 3 

The next morning, Katai woke up right after dawn.

She was surprised to see that Sether was not yet awake.

Without thinking twice, she entered his tent. She found him soundly asleep. He was cuddled on his side and, surprisingly enough, was hugging his pillow close to his chest, both legs near his stomach.

He wore a slight frown, but other then that, looked incredibly innocent.

She sat on her knees and shook his shoulders gently.

"Sether…" She whispered, "…wake up…"

Nothing.

"Sether, Hey, Sether, wake up." 

Silence. He didn't even seemed bothered by her shaking his shoulder slowly harder.

"GET THE &@^* UP YOU SLEEPY %&@!*!"

To her amazement, he was still soundly asleep.

Katai kicked him in the ribs.

He frowned slightly and leisurely woke up. He reached to his chest and mumbled,

"Oooooww…."

He opened one eye… _Slowly… and looked up._

"…What time is it?" He groggily asked.

"Just about five." She answered, placing her hands on her hips.

"A.M.?" There was disbelief in his voice.

"Ya."

Sether grabbed his pillow again and buried his face in it,  
"Wake me up before eight and bare the consequences." He used a very deep, menacing tone.

If she were in an Anime, she would have had a big sweatdrop on her head right now.

She left the tent soundlessly and did not wake him before 8:30.

Just in case.

They ate breakfast silently. Sether still could not shake last night from his mind.

It was decided to reach South Corel, and from there, Katai could decide either to continue with Sether, or to grab a ride to the Golden Saucer- from there to contact her parents and go back.

Sether and Katai started towards South Corel near noon.

After a while his train of thought brought him to address Katai,

"Why do you call me 'baka'? You aren't the born Wutain of the two of us…"

It was the first they've spoken since morning.

Before she could answer, he smiled,

"Don't tell me…That's the only word you know, right?"

She gave him an annoyed glare, 

"I… I know 'gohan' too…"

Sether chuckled,

"So… You know all the important words in Wutain- 'Idiot' and 'food'."

She raised her shoulders with anger,

An ominous feeling unexpectedly gripped Katai's heart, causing her to gasp softly as she felt someone drilling into the back of her neck.

Sether seemed to notice this as well and turned around. His expression was somewhat surprised at first, but then it changed into a very, very tired one, yet somewhat amused.

"You." He spoke to someone behind Katai.

She scuttled behind Sether's back. Looking up from over his shoulder, she gave a lungful scream. 

Both amusing the bright, emerald colored, mako illuminated eyes that were hovering in mid air before her and practically tearing the eardrum out of Sether's right ear.

"Katai, meet Sephiroth." He smiled faintly, gesturing towards the flying eyes.

"Sephiroth, meet Katai. I told you not to show up naked like that in front of her, haven't I?"

------------------------------------------------

Next chapter will explain this remark... ^_^  
How d'you think it's coming along? Please send me your comments, 'couse I've got only one way to improve- Up!  
So... 


	5. Sether: Help

Sether, Part 4: Help

Help:  Act 1 

Katai heard the wind whisper. Like a sound of a million bushes being rustled by it. She could feel the wind forming words, but like trying to catch a sea wave, the meaning slipped away.

"Thought about our chat, otouto?"

Katai _did hear Sether answer the wind. She was becoming very confused and frightened._

"No. Give me my staff back."

"What staff?" a sheepish smile, clasping his hands behind his back and whistling with feign innocence.

Sether glanced at Katai,

"Don't worry. He's harmless… More or less…"

A worried glance at Katai.

"She can almost here me, you know?"

"How can that be?"

"Mako. Her father spent a lot of time around materias and reactors and stuff. I think she will be able to even almost see me, too- but she can't understand what I'm saying. That's why I can't ask this of any mere mortal, otouto."

Sether stood before Katai protectively,

"Why is she freaked out, then?"

"Because she sees a pair of glowing eyes and senses a transdimensional entity with the will power to destroy the world. Enough, d'youthink?"

Sephiroth then pointed up, closing his eyes,

"The time is now." He added.

Act 2 

That prior night in the forest:

Sether had a hand raised and his lower lip trembling in utter terror, still on the ground.

Sephiroth smiled contently down at him. He cleared his throat once and said,

"…If you built it, he will come…" His voice was deep and mysterious.

Sether blinked a couple of times at this.

"…Wah… What?"

"I donno," Sephiroth looked away, a frown on his face, "I heard it somewhere, I'm looking for a good, You know," He waved his free hand vaguely, " 'Ghostly' line here."

"…What?"

"You're not very bright are you? Anyway-" Sephiroth scratched his chin thoughtfully, looking up, "Damn, I wanted to say something impressive, you know, make a big entrance… What about- 'I'm the ghost of Christmas pass'? …Na… Not 'ghostly' enough…"

Only here did he notice that Sether was still on the ground, looking utterly spooked.

"What's the matter with you? You look like you've seen a ghost- get it? Get it?"

Sether was still staring at him, a blank, stupid look on his face,

"…You… You are…"

"Sephiroth; Your big ol' brother! What about a hug?" The super villain, demi-god spread his arms in welcome.

Sether, surprisingly enough, did not make any attempt to move from the ground.

"You're dead." Sether gulped.

"Well, no shit, Sherlock!"

"I… This got to be a dream."

With a big smile on his face, Sephiroth hit Sether on top of the head with the staff.

"Nope!"

After a moment of vigorous head rubbing, Sether shakily got up.

Standing face to face, it was quite amazing to see the two men. There was absolutely no doubt that they were brothers. 

Sether was slightly shorter, and his face was more masculine than his older brother's.

"Konichiwa, Otouto!" Sephiroth waved his hand like a little boy, smiling and closing his eyes happily.

Sether closed his eyes and inhaled deeply,

"You are dead. You cannot be here. My Dad killed you. You are six feet under. You are not standing here."

He opened his eyes to see the planet's worst enemy still smiling at him.

His knees felt week. The fact that a decease person was standing in front of him angered the logic in him.

"What are you doing here?! You are most defiantly dead! What do you want from me?!" He demanded, holding his finger in front of Sephiroth's face as he earlier did to Katai.

Sephiroth went cross-eyed looking at the finger. He shook his head to get his sight straight and smiled again at Sether.

"Can't a brother materialize to say 'hi' without being accused?" He then examined the staff in his hands.

"It's of good quality, but you wield it like a wuss." He spoke suddenly in a relatively serious tone.

Sether was silent. Sephiroth's quick change of attitude (and mere presence,) baffling him.

"Why don't you use your true weapon?"

Sether took a step back,

"Never…" He gulped hard, "…Never again." He then asked with a petty tone,

"Why don't you wear something?"

Sephiroth looked surprised and examined his mostly opaque body, remembering that he, indeed, was naked.

"What, we in a Disney film or something? I'm dead, for Holy's sake, I don't need to be decent!"

Sether looked at him with a tired expression, every logical cell in his head took the rest of the day off,

"Just don't show up in front of Katai like that. She will have a heart attack." He gave up trying to convince the man in front of him that he was NOT supposed to exist.

His mother once told him that it's okey to talk to odd things (furniture, himself, trees…) as long as they don't answer you. She requested Sether to notify her if one of them did.

"Katai… Katai… Oh! Right! That blond chic with you, right? Nice girlfriend, otouto! Hot stuff!" Before Sether could say anything, Sephiroth threw his hand around Sether's shoulders and started walking with him, using Sether's staff as a walking aid.

"Don't worry, only people with Jenova cells can see me. If you have a good dose of Mako in you, you might hear me, but you have to have Jenova in you to see me."

"I don't have Jenova cells." Sether commented flatly. Sephiroth's hand around his shoulders freaking him out; it felt like ice- the touch was cold and stinging.

"Are you listening to what I'm saying, otouto? You got Jenova cells in you, don't worry about that- you got other things."

"What do you mean?"

Sephiroth stopped and sighed heavily, looking more somber now. He went and sat on a large rock. After a moment he patted the place behind him. Sether silently sat there.

"Things… Are going to be a bit hectic for you soon…" Sephiroth said quietly, looking to the stars.

"What are you saying?" Sether leaned his elbows on his thighs, looking at the ground by his feet.

The moonlight illuminated them both. Two pale figures, sitting back to back, one looking to the sky, the other to the ground.

Sephiroth chuckled to himself, looking down.

"I'm not here to warn you- I can't see the future. I'm here to ask a favor."

Sether waited.

"I want to ask you to help me."

This was Sether's turn to chuckle, a bitterness in his laugh,

"…Dealing with the devil? I am not going to destroy the world no matter what you do to me, you know."

Sephiroth glanced back,

"Believe me when I insist that there are worse people than me around, nowadays." He sighed again, "I'm all over the whole 'taking over the world- me become god' thing."

Sether turned around with anger,

" 'Taking over the world- THING'?"

Sephiroth seemed embarrassed,

"Ahh… Anyway-"

Sether abruptly got up, his back rigidly turned to his older, dead brother.

"No- No 'anyway'. You are not supposed to be here. I do not want to hear any lies… Just… Just… Leave me alone."

Sephiroth got up as well.

"I guess I did come out as a bit of a surprise for you… But I need your help."

"NO!" Sether turned around, "I am afraid of you, okey?? I do not understand anything that's happening to me! First thing I know, I'm starting to get real strong, then, when I try to reach Gongaga, my materias become little 'super-novas', and to make things worse- I heal faster than Wolverine!!" He waved his hands in front of him. He started backing again, "Just leave me alone, okey? I do not know how to deal with you!!!" Again, a branch located itself under Sether's foot and he fell again, this time on his side.

He did not even attempt to get up as Sephiroth slowly approached him, his expression sad and compassionate.

No one who knew Sephiroth while he was alive could ever dream of him wearing that expression.

He stood beside Sether a moment and then extended his arm,

"Sether…"

Sether looked up from the ground, meeting Sephiroth's emerald eyes. His own were tired and confused. He stared blankly at the pale hand Sephiroth was holding out.

"Take my hand." Sephiroth smiled. He looked so innocent, and something in his eyes was… 

Sether couldn't say exactly what it was, but it defiantly wasn't evil.

Sether reached out and grabbed the wrist.

As Sephiroth pulled Sether up he said,

"As I said before, I need your help, otouto."

"Do not call me that." Sether requested icily. 

Sephiroth looked genuinely shocked. He was looking at Sether with huge, puppy eyes filled with half opaque tears.

Sether sighed,

"Call me whatever you want." He corrected with the same tone, giving up.

Sephiroth was happy again.

It occurred to Sether that Sephiroth was exactly like his mother.

"And remember-" Sephiroth suddenly said,

"What?"

"The time is now!"

Sether gave him a tired stare.

Sephiroth laughed and scratched the back of his head,

"I donno what it means… But I really like saying that!"

Sether fell back to the ground in a very 'Anime' like style.

However, here Sether heard Katai's hysterical scream and ran back without another word.

Act 3 

Katai, in a feminist demonstration of power, fainted, her eyes rolling over and falling with a 'thud' to the grass.

"……" Was Sether's reaction. He gave her a confused look for a moment and then returned to Sephiroth before him, an air of 'anyway' about him.

"My staff." He raised his hand in wait.

Sephiroth scratched the back of his head and smiled,

"Aahh… Well… Ya'see… There was this really nice sorceress… and she really like it…"

Sather glared at him,

"SoIgaveittoher!" Sephiroth smiled sheepishly, not knowing what to do, "I got this in return, though!"

He produced from behind his back what seemed to be a revolver with a blade instead of a barrel.

Sether didn't even want to _think where he kept it all this time,_

"What is it?"

"An umbrella?" Sephiroth held it as one would an umbrella.

Sether inhaled deeply, rubbing his temples.

"You're not going to leave until I agree to help you, huh?" He pointed his finger at Sephiroth and exclaimed, "Well, you can wait 'till time ends, I will not help you!"

Sephiroth looked truly heart broken,

"Why??" He asked, his eyes becoming unnaturally big and watery, "D'you hate me?" He sniffed his nose a couple of times.

"I don't hate you." Sether answered, shaking his head, "I'm freaking afraid of you."

He turned around to pick up Katai and leave. Then he uttered,

"Ugh."

"That's all you can say?" Sephiroth's tone wasn't begging, or sad, or pathetic- it was determined, even a bit annoyed.

"Ugh… Ugh! Damn…" Sether slowly lifted his hand to the sword tip protruding from his right shoulder. The other end of the sword was in Sephiroth's hand.

"I'm sorry, otouto." Sephiroth said, genuine pain in his voice, "But you **must listen to me. You may refuse only ****after you will hear what I have to say."**

He withdrew the sword and Sether almost lost balance, clutching his shoulder to slow the bleeding.

"…I lose more shirts this way…" He muttered painfully. Almost fainting from the pain.

Sephiroth came by Sether,

"I'm sorry I had to do that, but you're my single, only hope."

Sether fell to his knees, his head light with pain.

"What-do-you-want?" he asked dejectedly, "I will listen to you, but if you are going to ask me to destroy the world or something, you will have to kill me before I'll do that."

Sephiroth sat on the grass by Sether, placing the Masamune with the bloody tip by his side and crossing his legs. He chose his words before starting;

"As you know, I'm dead."

Sether lifted his head.

"You sure do not look alive, so do not worry."

Sephiroth coughed once and continued, "Being the totally cool and awesome person that I am, I'm stuck." He spread his palm and placed it on the grass, closing his eyes. He looked awfully miserable in Sether's eyes.

"I killed a lot of people in my time, and absorbed their life energy. I became something that the planet didn't know what to do with."

He locked stares with Sether, "My spirit can never truly disappear from the world, but this-" He lifted both hands and gave them a self loathing glance, "…This pathetic existence is a bug, so to speak."

Sether said nothing, listening to his brother intently. Sephiroth looked to the sky,

"It's because people can't forget me. They hate me- each and every one of them- they loathe my guts and everything I represent." He smiled at Sether, "You know that part, don't you?"

Sether looked away and said nothing, the hand clutching his shoulder twitching once.

"I'm kainda cursed, ya'see. I can't truly die or truly live. And if something was to happen to you, my only connection to this world will die with it."

Sether inhaled painfully. He never felt this side of the Masamune before,

"Isn't there anyone else who you can talk to? There are a lot of SOLDIER survivors and people with Jenova cells…"

Sephiroth chuckled bitterly,

"Sure, I'll just pop in front of them with a wink and a smile and say 'Hey there, buddy! Remember me? Sephiroth, the crazy guy? With the big sword? Odd fashion sense? Ya, the guy that killed your family, destroyed your hometown, almost the whole planet- listen- I need a favor-Thetimeisnow.' That'll work!"

Sether thought about this a moment,

"Why me, then, didn't you think I will shun you?"

Sephiroth shrugged,

"I've been watching you since the day you were born, I know that you're not like other people. I know that you're my only hope."

"Ya, I know you've been with me." Sether whispered, unsure how, but he knew all his life that Sephiroth was there, watching him and over him,

"If you are trying to trick me…"

Sephiroth went puppy eyed again,

"Would **I do that?"**

Sether gave him a cold look and indicated his stabbed shoulder.

Sephiroth seemed a little embarrassed,

"I said I was sorry, didn't I??"

Sether didn't know what to do. On one hand, he was afraid. The name 'Sephiroth' haunting him all his life as something to be dreaded, as something to be avoided. But on the other hand… He wanted to help. Something wanted to believe Sephiroth and end his misery. Sether couldn't tell, to save his life, whether he believed Sephiroth truly, or was it just his over developed sense of justice…? Maybe Sephiroth was manipulating him? Or maybe his blood relation with the demigod was clouding his judgment?

A glance at the referred to summoner of meteor, revealed that he was chasing a grasshopper through the grass while squeaking with glee. However, he tripped and fell flat on his face.

Sether shakily got up and bent by Sephiroth's side. Even though he knew the later was dead, he couldn't help but ask,

"Are you okey?"

Sephiroth turned his head and looked upwards at Sether, a look of a baby about to cry on his face. Quickly his expression changed to that happy, smiley one Sether learned to like.

"Daijobu. Arigatou, otouto." It's all right. Thank you, little brother.

Sether smiled as well. He got up and extended his injured arm, the other smeared with blood.

"Take my hand… oniichan big brother … I will help you."

Sephiroth grabbed that hand and got up.

"Really?? Ya'will? Ya'mean'it? Ya'will? Really?" he started hopping up and down happily, or should we say, gaily. He hugged Sether tight, sending a chill down the later's spin with his icy touch. However, it really warmed Sether's heart, Sephiroth's childish reactions.

Sephiroth started bouncing around Sether while singing,

"He's gonna help me! He's gonna help me! The time is now! He's gonna help!!!"

Sether chuckled,

"You are insane."

Sephiroth pretended to pout,

"Don't say 'insane', say 'with a different, unique approach to reality'."

"You are insane, Seph." Sether shook his head.

"I like that, 'Seph'…" Sephiroth smiled more calmly now, he seemed greatly relieved and happy, "Look, I have some connections here in the after life and the Tran dimensional entities, I'll see what I can do about Dad."

Sether's expression changed swiftly,

"You can do that?"

"What are big brothers for?" He patted his chest proudly, then he glanced aside and said, "I think a wolf's nibbelin' on your girlfriend, otouto."

Sether yelped and raced to the unconscious Katai's side. The wolf previously mentioned was just licking her face to check if she was tasty or not.

"Forget it, furball, you'll have indigestion."

The wolf seemed to agree with Sether and ran away.

Sether looked at where Sephiroth was moments ago to discover that he was gone. That didn't mean that Sether didn't a feeling that he'll be back soon enough to mess up his life a little more. Sether's glance rested a moment on the Masamune, which rested on the grass.

The blood on the tip.

This is the first blood the sword saw since **Then, Sether presumed. His expression flashed emotion for but a second.**

_…It was an accident…_

He deliberately left it there and proceeded to lift Katai over one shoulder, he continued to walk towards South Corel.

With each step Sether took away from the Masamune, it became more transparent. When Sether was out of sight, so was the sword.

------------------------------------------------

Hey, you probably thought this will be your generic 'Sephiroth rebirth' act, right?  
Not from this little author!  
More coming, want it or not!


	6. Sether: Identity

Sether, Part 5: Identity

Identity: 

**Act 1**

Half way there Katai woke up. 

Obviously, the first thing she did was to start kicking Sether's stomach and punching his back, screaming for him to put her down.

He dropped her from his shoulder very ungracefully and received a slap in the face the moment she was on her feet again.

"What the ^%&!# happened back there?!" She shouted, shock and fear causing her voice to tremble.

"You have fainted." He evaded the question as he shrugged.

"You know what I mean, you *%@#$!! There was something there… Something…"

"Oh, you mean Sephiroth." His voice was casual, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"&*@$^!! You're damn right I mean Sephiroth!!! What the &*!@ was he… Doing there??"

Sether blinked at her, pretending not to understand the question. He really wasn't in the mood to start explaining what he himself didn't understand, to this hysterical, annoying girl.

"Don't give that innocent look!" She yelled, "I demand an explanation."

Sether took a step forward and held his finger in front of her face. His face was very calm as he hissed,

"I owe you no explanations, missy. In fact, I don't remember owing you anything. You are an annoying person."

Her face quickly flushed and she stepped forward as well, holding her finger up. Her voice, as her expression, was enraged. Sether wondered that she did not have a heart attack by now with her volatile temper. 

"Listen, ya big &$@& log! My life was endangered and I have every right to know ^%& why!!"

Sether withdrew his finger and stepped back.

"Fine." He said, then turned around without a word and began to walk again.

Katai was quick to start skipping by his side, keeping up with his steps.

"Well?" She demanded.

"Well what?" Sether looked at her as if he had never seen her in his life.

Angry as she was, she ran ahead of him and stopped, spread her arms wide and blocking the path.

"Stop it." She said, her eyes were slightly moist.

Sether gave her a long look. She was very emotional- the tiniest thing made her angry or made her cry. He wondered if she laughed as often as she got angry.

His expression softened with slight amusement. This was ridiculous. His life was, currently, a living nightmare, and she was standing there, blocking his path when they were standing in great grass plains.

He poked he in her stomach, she winced and covered her belly with her hands. Sether kept walking.

"If you want, I'll tell you." Why was he agreeing? Because he understood that she was going to be a lot more annoying if he didn't. "But only if we keep a pace that will take us to South Corel before nightfall."

She cursed and started to skip by his side again, listening intensely.

"Sephiroth came." He concluded. But after a moment he added with his crocked grin, "You fainted."

Her face flaring again, she asked with venom,

"I hope you're not planning to tell me that's it."

"What more is there to say?" He shrugged.

"Baka! I want to know why the ^&@$% enemy of the *&#@ planet would &#%! Talk to us!!!"

Sether smiled again,

"He talked to me- you fainted."

Her face got redder, yet she controlled her anger,

"I $^%# know I #(!# fainted, OKAY?? WHY. DID. _SEPHIROTH. ^&*!$%. COME."_

"He wanted my help. I agreed."

"He-- YOU WHAT???" She shrieked, stopping in her tracks.

"He **is my brother…" Sether said weakly, a flash of his true concerns and emotions surfacing for an instant and gone before someone might notice, "I.."**

He noticed Katai was not walking, but standing a few steps back, mouth ajar, eyes wide with shock.

"…Your… Brother?"

Sether face faulted,

"Like, you did not NOTICE??" He pointed at his face angrily, "You think I look like him by CHANCE?"

She turned around in her spot and mumbled,

"I had no idea…"

"…And you call **me 'baka'…?"**

Katai was too absorbed in her pondering to hear Sether.

"Sephiroth's brother… Sephiroth…"

"I am his lesser brother." He confirmed icily.

Not noticing his strange choice of words, Katai spun around, scaring Sether with a BIG grin on her face.

Sether raised an eyebrow.

"Sethy!" She exclaimed happily. Sether took a step back.

"Seth!" She took a step forward, her hands clasped in front of her and wiggling mischievously, "Does that mean you have some Jenova cells in you, by any chance?"

Her voice was dripping so much honey, she could probably feed an anthill for years.

Sether nodded once,

"So what if I do?"

"Oh! Look at the time!" she exclaimed, "We better get moving before we'll be late!"

Sether grumbled something and started again towards Corel.

"What can you do, then?" Katai asked after a silence. Too brief for Sether's opinion.

"What do you mean?" He asked, vexed. She was looking at him in a totally different manner now, and it bothered him. There was a sparkle in her eye that scared him, and another sparkle…

Fear.

Deep inside, she was afraid of him.

Because of Sephiroth.

For a brief moment, he realized, someone treated him like a person on his own, and not as 'Sephiroth's lesser brother'.

"Weeeellll…" She intoned, "I mean, what can you do like Sephiroth? Can you summon Meteor again if you really wanted? Are you powerful as he was? Are-"

She gagged herself the moment she reverted her eyes to Sether's expression.

There was true anger there. Not the annoyence he shortly showed before, anger at something _real._

He looked down. His whole presence seemed to darken as he said very, very quietly,

"I am _nothing like him."_

Katai cowered and opened a slight distance between them as they walked,

"You say it like it's bad."

"It is." He hissed, "He was a great man."

Katai gave a scoff at that,

"You mean before or _after he killed countless people and tried to become a g-"_

Again her throat choked up when Sether gave her a piercing glare, he shouted

"That is not--!!" He watched as Katai visibly cowered, afraid of him as she was previously of the Rockadillo, or the Iguana.

"Look at yourself!" He shouted, frustrated, "You are scared of me because of my brother!! He was a good man who simply went mad!! I- Am- Not- Sephiroth! My name is Sether C. Valentine, for Holy's sake!" He pointed at the ground, his shoulders visibly shaking.

Katai by now, was scared speechless by his outburst. 

Sether looked in her eyes, realizing she was seeing only Sephiroth's brother, not himself anymore. 

It angered him without end.

He breathed hard a long moment, glaring at her intensely; Red eyes so big and angry.

He turned away abruptly, massaging his shoulder.

"I am sorry…" He mumbled pitifully, full of self loathing. Bursting out like that… He should have learned to control his temper by now. Unless he wanted to repeat the Ryotu incident.

Katai was reminding Sether of what Ryotu did before he died, and Sether was deeply scared by that.

There was awkward silence between them.

Her eyes reverted to his pale hand on his shoulder, and she only now noticed the blood on his black shirt.

Her curiosity taking over, she closed the distance between them and gingerly touched the area around the wound. Sether gave a start at the touch, but Katai was too engrossed to even notice.

"What happened to you? You didn't have this a while back…"

He regarded it, expressionless returning to his face,

"Sephiroth did it. It's nothing."

She grabbed his shoulders and turned him around,

"Nothing?! It goes all the way through your shoulder!! It must hurt as hell!"

"It is nothing." he insisted firmly, than added, "You are a strange one."

"Huh?" She looked up into his face. His previous emotions gone from his face, nestling now only in his almond shaped, blood red eyes.

"One moment you are afraid of me, the next you step close. One moment you are afraid of blood, the next you tend my wounds."

She smiled. Sether thought she looked much better smiling than when she was angry and red like a tomato.

"That's how humans are, Seth. You're like that too, didn't you notice?"

He raised his brows,

"Well, when you first came to our house, you were a smug idiot (Not that you are any less of one now…), then you were an annoying jerk, and then you started to tease and mock me. Now you're a…" She visibly chose different words, remembering who his brother was, "A different person… And I meant those other things in the nicest way…" She gave him a frightened little smile and stepped back, starting to walk towards Corel again.

Only a few hours away.

Act 2 

The rest of the walk was made in total silence. Sether walking ahead, Katai trailing a step behind. She did not complain a whisper.

Sether was deep in thoughts.

Some concerned the pain in his head, then his shoulder. Some were about Sephiroth, some were about his Dad, some for his Mom.

Then Sephiroth again.

He was in turmoil, and in total contrast to his determined expression with only a slight frown.

He didn't have a clue what was he supposed to do now. How was he planning to find those bastards?

And with Ms. Pacifistic here?

What was going on with him? Why did Sephiroth choose to come now? How will he be able to heal Dad? How will Sether be able to help Sephiroth? Did he really mean it? Will Sether's help destroy the world, or something crazy like that? Why was his head throbbing like nobody's business?

Damnit.

As if to spite him, Katai started to talk again,

"…Huh… How's your shoulder…?"

Her meek little tone angered him, and he replied icily,

"Fine. I thank you for asking."

What annoyed him even more was that he knew that this wasn't the real Katai. If from the instant they met she was this coy little thing, it wouldn't have of bothered him so much.

Silence again. But this time it was very strained and heavy.

"What's the difference…?" He asked tiredly.

"Huh?"

He kept looking ahead as he spoke. Neither his tone nor his expression revealed what was he truly feeling. Not even the horrid headache.

"…If I'm Sephiroth's brother or not."

Katai scoffed. Sether liked it when she scoffed, it amused him.

"It makes a world of difference! I mean… Sephiroth! Just the name…!"

The pain in his voice was evident when he asked,

"You hate him?"

"Of course!" Katai exclaimed, as if Sether asked her if the sun was bright, "I was raised and taught to hate him. To hate what he did and the way he wanted to do it. To hate what he stood for-"

Here Sether intervened, suddenly stopping and turning to Katai to glare at her viciously,

"What **does he stand for??"**

Katai cowered back,

"…Everything that's evil…?"

Sether's breath was heavy through his tightly clenched teeth. He couldn't tell if it was his headache or his anger.

"If you could see what I saw, you would never think so."

"I can't be blame for being raised this way."

Sether turned and started walking again, not bothering to look that Katai was following,

"You are to blame for believing it without… Without checking… Without knowing…"

Katai dared to catch up with Sether. She looked timidly into his stern face,

"'Know' what?"

Sether hastened his step,

"It does not matter. When we will reach South Corel City, you will call your parents and you could forget all about this 'Sephiroth Clone' you knew."

_…Third rate Sephiroth clone…_

_…It was an accident…!_
    
     

Act 3

She gave him a perplexed look, but said nothing.

Then she yelled out in pain as she tripped.

Sether stopped in annoyence and turned his head to her.

She sitting on the grass, tears of pain in her eyes and rubbing her ankle.

He fully turned to her.

"Are you alright?" There was hardly little more than politeness in his voice.

"I think I sprained my ankle…" She sniffed.

Without a word, he approached her and lifted her in his arms. She was too surprised to say anything at first.

He started walking to Corel City again with her in his arms.

She stared into his face a long while, still shocked. All he really wanted at the moment was to get to Corel to get rid of her.

Uncomfortable with her examination, Sether said, not looking down at her,

"It's my fault you fell. I walk too fast."

She was still staring at him.

"Will you cut that out…!"

She blinked several times.

After a short while of silence, she asked,

"May I check something? I want to know if… What you said is true…"

Not understanding completely what she wanted to do, he nodded once.

Very, very gently, Katai reached up from her nestling place in his arms and touched the black lock. For a warrior and a traveler, he had surprisingly soft and well kept hair. 

With her other hand she grabbed the tip of the silver one. 

There was no difference in the feel between the silver bang and the black one.

Then she yanked both as hard as she could.

The result was a surprised Sether inbound downwards. By instinct, and since both his arms were busy holding Katai, he lifted her up as his face went down and hitting the ground, yet taking the fall flat in the face while leaving Katai unharmed. He cursed his overly heroic reflexes.

And as long as he was holding Katai, he couldn't lift himself.

Katai laughed her head off a while before gracefully getting down from his arms.

Sether then lifted himself on both elbows and spat out some grass.

"What was the point in that??" He demanded, tapping his fingers irritably.

The roots of his bangs hurt.

She bent down by his side and smiled,

"Now I can trust you." She announced, "No one half as dangerous as Sephiroth would have been able to fall so ungracefully on his face."

Sether got up painfully,

"At least that settles **that issue." He said it with annoyence, but he was actually a bit relieved.**

Maybe she meant it. And she would maybe, just maybe treat him like a normal person for the rest of the day.

And Sether could maybe go on knowing that someone out there, besides his parents, saw him for something else but a 'Third rate Sephiroth clone'.

Katai's ankle was miraculously fine after Sether growled at her when she seemed ready to go again.

However, after falling with a cry of pain after the first step, Sether picked her up again, ignored her cries of protest, and continued to South Corel.

"What, are ya going to %^@ carry me all the way to &^*@^ Corel?!" She squirmed in his grip.

"Yes." He answered plainly.

She crossed her hands over her chest and scoffed. His lopsided grin flashed momentarily across his lips.

"What's so funny?" She demanded.

"Your pride."

Her little face went red again,

"My pride amuses you?!" 

He nodded, not looking down at her flushed face,

"You squeal, faint and whine, yet you keep your face to the sky. That's good."

"I do not squeal." Then she added less harshly, "Why do you sound so sad…?"

The corner of his lip tilted again,

"I've no pride but the fact that I keep on fighting, that I am still a warrior."

"I know that S… Sephiroth's name meant something in some language. Is that true?"

He seemed thoughtful, and Katai's stutter in the name of his older brother did not go unnoticed.

"Sephiroth's name means _Spheres or __Countings in the native language of those who live in The Promised Land. _

The spheres, six of them, I think, each hold a godly virtue; _Wisdom, intelligence, compassion, valor, eternity and__ grace. I do not know whether that is indeed what my mother meant when she had named him, but that is what is assumed."_

Katai was visibly impressed,

"You sure know a lot about all this stuff."

His eyes darkened as he spoke,

"I have checked into it."

"How?"

"I read the Shinra mansion's library. I knew most of the material there somehow- Probably because of Sephiroth- but I have read the books that I knew less about."

"Y… You read the Forbidden Books?" She gasped.

He looked down at her with his brows raised, but said nothing.

After a short silence she asked,

"What does _your name mean?"_

He chuckled bitterly, for he was no in a good mood,

"My name is much simpler; it means _Hidden or __Unseen. Actually pronounced __Seter. It is also in the language of The Promised Land."_

"That's _soooo cool!" Katai exclaimed, earning herself an odd look, "Mine just means __Stubborn or __Firm."_

"Very suiting." Sether teased. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Why did your parents call you a Wutian name?" He tilted his head,

Here Katai was filled with pride, she jerked her head up (As much as she could in her position),

"In honor of the admirable Mr. Valentine, who, according to my parents was extremely stubborn and firm."

Sether's face expressed some sort of soft emotion as he shyly murmured,

"My thanks to your parents."

"I don't really need to talk to your Dad now, since you will seem to do much better for my research! I don't need him healed—"

Sether's expression reverted quickly, now angry and pained.

"—I didn't mean it like that!" Katai quickly exclaimed, slightly panicky "That's not what I meant to say! I…"

"It matters not!" Sether barked angrily, suddenly remembering his comatosed Father, his worried Mother, his dead-yet-ignoring-it brother and his oh-so-present headache.

From this point on, a cold distance fell between the two, no matter how much Katai apologized.

------------------------------------------------

*Sigh*, poor Seth just can't have it easy, huh?  
Oh, all the part about the name is totally true! As Sether said, we're not sure if Sephiroth's name really came from Hebrew (The promised land-- get it?), but it's a possible interpetation. Sether's name really came from the Hebrew word 'Seter'.


	7. Sether: First

Sether, Part 6: First

**First:**

******Act 1**

Dusk was creeping nearer, stretching shadows and painting the skies a brilliant aquarelle picture.

Katai was kind enough to remember that she had a small potion with her, and was able to walk again.

Every now and then he would turn to check on her. He had promised her parents he'd protect her, after all.

Each time he did so, she would cower almost subconsciously. Sether would give her an apathetic look and turn back.

A few steps further, just half an hour from Corel, Sether stopped in his tracks. Katai bumped into him from behind and apologized hastily.

"Hush." He ordered while scanning the darkening surroundings. His eyes darted around, but he could not discern any shadow from another.

Someone was most definitely around.

Sephiroth? No. It wasn't him- it was—

"Watch out!" He shouted, swirling around and throwing his arms around Katai protectively.

A fire spell crashed into Sether's back, singeing and ruining yet another shirt. The force of the spell caused Sether to lose his balance and fall forward, Katai still in his hold. She was too surprised to act.

Mid fall Sether twirled his body around, letting himself hit the ground first before Katai. She clung to his shirt, panic griping her heart as she realized they were being attacked.

Sether glanced up to see a figure looming over them, a staff held above it's head. A quick roll on the grass broke the strike on Sether's back.

From there on, Sether turned offensive; He hopped to his feet, one hand beside him readily, the other yanking Katai to her feet and placing her behind him.

The situation was revealed to be that of being surrounded. A group of five figures encircled the two, various long weapons in their hands. Each of the figures was wearing a black hooded robe on.

"Thieves??" Katai asked weakly, clinging close to Sether. He in return held one hand behind him protectively.

"Feh!" One of the figures exclaimed, "Do not insult us! We will not stoop to such acts. We need but sacrifice."

Sether's eyes flashed wide.

"That voice-!!" He faced that figure, Katai still behind him.

The figure lifted it's head. Two violet, shining eyes glowed from the depths of the hood and gave Sether a surprised look.

"The one from the reactor!!" Exclaimed Sether and the robed person together. Sether's reaction was anger. The hooded figure wonderment.

One of those who accompanied the violet one tried to grab Katai's wrist from behind, only to receive a might punch under the chin from Sether. The figure raised in the air and landed on it's back a few feet back.

One down, four to go.

"Stop!!" The violet eyed figure yelled, "can't you see who this is??!"

All the four figures stared at Sether, who was still in a defensive position.

Then in unison, they all fell to the ground and groveled.

"Oh, mighty Sephiroth! Forgive us!" Cried the leading figure, her violet eyes now cast towards the ground.

Upon hearing no response, she looked up.

No one was there.

She got up and kicked on of her underlings.

Act 2 

Sether was running like a man possessed with Katai flung over his shoulder.

She tried to yell at him to stop, but the bumpy ride made it impossible for her to utter anything but a segmented vowel.

After a few miles, when South Corel City's lights were already visible in the near distance, Sether slowed down.

More specifically, he fell down.

Or crashed down.

He fell on his side and tumbled a couple of times with his own momentum. Katai was flung from his shoulder and landed a while away on her behind.

She was ready to go and pound him for throwing her like that, when she noticed that he wasn't getting up.

She crawled to his side.

He seemed to be out cold.

He was just laying there, head slumped to it's side, eyes closed lightly and his hand over his chest.

Act 3 

Sether was in a place with no place in it. He had heard about this place from several stories.

It had no ceiling or top just as it had no floor or walls. It was an endless darkness. Sether could see himself as if there was a spotlight solely on him.

Maybe there was plenty of light around with simply nothing to light _on._

"At last, you've heard my call, son."

Sether turned around and saw a woman standing there. She was unearthly beautiful, with silver- blue hair and big glowing eyes of a peculiar color.

"I know you." Sether replied, his heart racing with fear in spite of himself, "You are not my mother- my mother's name is Lucrecia- and I can still see without spectacles to say that you are not her."

"Who am I, then?" She smiled seductively at him and closed the distance between them.

Sether did not attempt to move away. He would not show any signs of weakness in front of… This.

"Feh, by saying your name I acknowledge your existence. You are a dead thing, and you get deader by the day. Every offspring will have less and less of you in them. One day there will be no nothing left of you but a bad dream."

Her smile faltered and twisted into a vicious growl, her pretty face twitched and seemed to become immeasurably older for but a second.

With unbelievable speed, her hand flew and she grabbed Sether by the throat. Even though she was almost a head and a half shorter than him, she managed to lift him several inches from the ground.

He held that white- blue wrist of hers, his face contorted with pain.

"I might be dying," He heard her say as his senses started failing, **_"But I'm taking you with me."_**

------------------------------------------------

That can't be good, can it??  
Continue and find out!  
As if poor Seth didn't have enough already...


	8. Sether: Death?

Sether, Part 7: Death?

**Death?:**

****

**Act 1**

One giagantic foot after another, It made it's way through the land. It missed it's watery home, with it's watery nothingness and occasional fish. But since it had a job to do, and he was the only one left to do it, he kept walking.

It stepped on something and stopped. Looking …Slowly… down, he saw a (relatively) big cluster of human shelters. It gave the impression of shrugging and kept walking, feeling slightly embarrassed as it's feet destroyed entire blocks each step.

Act 2 

"I'm sure of it, oh Great One!" She told her leader, "I saw him with my own eyes, so did my squad!"

The green haired leader scratched his chin thoughtfully, not entirely believing his underling's story.

"And then he disappeared, you say? Vanished into thin air?"

The woman with the violet eyes and the black robe lifted her head from her groveling,

"Yes, yes! And though I know it wasn't Sephiroth himself- it must be… It must be…"

The leader narrowed his hateful, keen eyes at nothing in particular,

"The Coming."

Act 3 

With the before mentioned lack of important substance, the body found the next best thing and gave it to all those screaming cells.

They drank it with a mighty thirst and demanded more, saying something about it being less than what they were used to, but they could manage if the body just gave them a triple dose.

The body had no choice but to comply.

------------------------------------------------

What's going on with Sether?  
Well, I'm not sure myself!  
I hope you like it so far- remember to tell me what you think!  
I'm continuing as fast I as I can!


	9. Sether: Corel

Sether, Part 8: Corel

**Corel:**

****

Act 1 

"Are you hurt??" She shook his shoulder violently, panic etched on her face.

"D… Daijobu… I… I'm alright" He mumbled painfully. The crash into the ground scratched him, and Katai saw the scratches disappearing like fumes on a window.

He opened one eye.

Katai slapped him for carrying and dropping her like that.

He absently rubbed his throat. He could still feel Jenova's cold hand.

"Who were those people?" Katai kept shaking his shoulders, "What happened to you??"

Sether felt too ill and too weak to get up yet.

Life was getting a lot more complicated by the second. As Sether hesitated, Katai shook him harder and demanded,

"I though you wanted revenge, you coward!? Why did ya run away?"

"I had another attack- you think I passed out from my own free will? I could not fight them that way…"

He took a shaky breath before repeating,

"When we reach Corel, you are to call your parents to pick you up."

"Why?" She whined, and Sether knew her dismay came from her prior interest in his heritage.

"Things have become complicated, it is dangerous. You should not be involved."

He painfully got up, dusting himself off clumsily.

"Your neck's all red." Katai noted with puzzlement; every other scratch or injury he had beside his neck had already healed.

Sether said nothing, yet a chill shuddered his spine.

"Come on." He said, trying to start walking again. It took him a moment to remember how to balance his shoulder blades and which leg came after which, but soon enough they were on the move again.

After a few steps Sether halted again.

"Wait here a moment." he requested. He turned and walked into a bunch of trees a few feet away.

"What, ya need to take a leak or something?" Katai placed her hands on her hips.

"No. Shut up." He left.

Katai stood there alone a short while before her curiosity took over and she followed.

She found Sether standing between the trees, talking to someone. At first Katai feared that he was talking to Sephiroth again, but a closer look revealed that he was talking into his PHS.

"…Ya, Mom, we're about to enter South Corel City, so you won't hear from me for a while, okey?"

Katai gaped. Sether's tone was so soft and calm. His face, up until now tense and frowning, was relaxed and showed deep care. He lifted his head to the few stars that had already sparkled in the sky. The moon-light on his pale face was magnificent sight.

"Sure, I'll call and tell you the moment we leave… Ya… Take care of Dad for me, okey?"

Katai bit her lower lip. If she was a more moral person, she would have bit herself out of guilt- eavesdropping. However, she only bit her lip because she was trying to suppress a sneeze.

"Sure, Mom, I'm fine- You know me- It'll take an army to keep me down…" It was not said in a boastful tone, rather a comforting tone. He was trying to persuade his mother in something he himself obviously did not believe.

His expression showed was uncomfortable he felt, lying to his Mom like that.

Katai then hastened and returned to approximately the same place she was before, pretending to wait all this time.

"…He never uses contractions with _me…" She grumbled._

After a short while he returned, his face fixed again in that determined and cold frown.

Act 2 

Before entering Corel, Sether took special care in inserting every single lock of silver and black hair under his broad-rimmed hat. He also placed his slim sunglasses over his eyes, stubbornly ignoring the lack of sun.

It was far after dark as the two entered the richest city in the world. It was this way since it provided the whole world with coal.  
The days of a poor town were hardly anything more than a long forgotten myth. Everything was decorated with green orbs made of tiny light bulbs and everything gave the impression that the decorations were just starting.

"Oh!" Katai exclaimed all of a sudden, skipping happily in a circle, "I almost forgot its Holy Day soon!" She clasped her hands to her bosom with the joy of the thought, "I love Holy Day! I remember, when I was kid in Rocket City (When it was still called Rocket Town!) the grownups used to make us a big box with the Shinra Logo drawn on it… and we had to smash it to get to all the candy inside! It was so fun!"

"I like Holy Day too." Sether looked at the sidewalk, "I always got double the presents since it is so close to my birthday."

"When's your birthday?"

"The morning after Holy Day."

"That must be kaindafa bummer- all the people are so happy with the holyday…"

Sether shook his head and pushed his sunglasses up his nose bridge, "No… As a kid, I liked to imagine that all the decorations and all the celebrations were for my birthday." A smile graced his features a moment before fading to a grim frown, "I stopped believing that … at a certain age."  
"Why?" She tilted her head.

"…Nothing. It matters not." He suddenly fell very silent.

_It was an accident!_

"Why did you do that?" Katai inquired as they continued to make their way towards the center of Corel, "Why did you tuck your hair like that?"

Sether answered with a morose tone,

"Most people do not appreciate my looks… Women sometime look at me if I wear a tightly fitting shirt, but other than that-" He did not finish his sentence, his face thoughtful. He did not understand why woman stared at him, but it made him feel good, so he didn't bother checking into it.

Katai scoffed, but other than that said nothing.

Looking around with slight stress, Sether offered,

"Perhaps it is better if we should find an inn for the night, and head for Golden Saucer in the morning…?"

Katai nodded once, clasping her hands over her chest, suddenly troubled.

Sether noticed this, but lacked the patience and mental strength to inquire.

They walked through the bustling streets, Katai in the lead. 

Sether was pleased that She did not notice him falling a step behind her. He lowered his eyes to the ground and placed his hands in his pockets, doing his best not to stand out.

Katai had no idea what it was like for Sether to simply walk down the street. People's hatred towards his older brother was incredible, and Sether always felt it sharply- in more than one way.

Something so trivial, so obvious for all people, was so foreign and very much dangerous for him. Now more than ever; his strange increase in physical and magical prowess and his often collapses brought him to his mental edge.

Not to mention that Sether plainly did not like people all that much.

His eyes constantly darted from one place to another, his mind feeling overloaded by the amount of legs, arms, bodies, eyes and heads that streamed pointlessly by.

Finally Katai stopped in front of her chosen inn for the night. One glance at the splendid double doors that led into the magnificent lobby made Sether glance up at the 'inn's' name,

"Hotel Corel?" He exclaimed, then glanced at Katai with a stern expression, "It is the most expensive hotel in the whole holydamn world- We will not stay here." He shook his head gravely, "You have only one more night out here, so you may feel like you can spend. I, however, still have many nights away from my home- therefore- You can stay here, I'm going to the 'Coal Inn'." He pointed across the street at a much simpler-looking, several stories high building, decorated by a meek sign; 'Coal Inn'.

"Fine…" She pouted, "We'll stay at the crappy inn."

He raised his brows at her, "You can still stay here."

"Nah," She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "No fun in staying alone, right?" Then, without another word, she began to cross the street. All the way followed by Sether who was giving her an odd look.

They entered.

Sether stayed in the entrance shadows while Katai chirpily ordered a room.

One room.

"Wouldn't you prefer a couple's room?" The bored receptionist asked, confused with Katai's insistence for a single room for both of them.

"Just because a woman and a man travel together doesn't mean that their in any romantic relationship!" She bellowed angrily, and sounded as if she was reciting that in her head for a while.

The receptionist, whose tag said her initials were 'LB', said,

"Don't be silly, Miss, you think I'd go to all the trouble to coupling you two and you won't end up in a romantic relationship? Have you ever seen a story that starts this way and **doesn't end in a romantic coupling??"**

Katai gave her a murderous glare (although she did not understand fully what LB was talking about,) and scoffed.

"What is this?" Sether demanded quietly from his corner, regarding the single room key and trying not to look intimidating. 

She turned around, tilting her head,

"Someone's gotta take care of you! You're ill and sleeping on the coach."

Sether repeated the last sentence silently with his lips, trying to find the logic in it. She in return started skipping up the short flight of stairs leading to the elevator.

Katai and Sether entered the elevator.

"You look totally ridiculous." She stated- trying to prove to the receptionist that she didn't like this man one bit- once the doors closed.

The elevator wasn't anything an elevator shouldn't be- as to say- It was a perfectly normal elevator with a mirror in the back.

He regarded her with no expression and then turned to look in the mirror behind him.

Sether saw nothing new in the mirror; His pale skin was slightly dirty from the long day with its various falls and hurts.

No matter how much time Sether spent training in the sun, his skin refused to do anything but burn. No matter what he did, how much sun lotion he would put on himself…

His eyes were covered with his sunglasses even in the dim elevator. He could barely see.

His hair was tucked away under his cowboy- ish hat.

His black trenchcoat perhaps needed a wash.

He turned over to Katai and examined her;

Her bouncy, blond hair tied in a tight ponytail, with that ever existent blond mass that dangled over one of her glass rimmed eyes.

Her white trenchcoat showed a dire need for a good clean.

How unpractical is that white overcoat…, Sether mused, following the curves of the trenchcoat and the body under it.

Feeling slightly embarrassed as he thought she might misinterpret his scan- then he remembered that he was wearing sun glasses and she could not see where he was looking.

"Shut up." He concluded as the doors opened to the 4th floor.

Act 3 

"Give me your arm." She ordered firmly after they settled in their room.

"…?" Was Sether's response to Katai's grabbing of his upper arm. She held up a small medical apparatus.

"I want to take an insy-wincy blood sample so I could check what's wrong with ya, okey?" Without waiting for a reply, she placed the thing near Sether's shoulder and it glowed momentarily.

She then proceeded to sit by a small table in the room and produced various instruments from her Store Materia.

Sether simply stared at his shoulder and then at her.

"It'll take twenty four hours to get the results." She inserted the little apparatus into what seemed like a microscope with no binoculars. Her movements were expert, and everything went into its place with a click.

She looked at several gauges on the side of the machine and took notes.

"Neat." Sether said, truly impressed by her skill.

"Weeelll," She flourished her hair, "I _am a Makologist, __after all."_

"That reminds me," Sether took off his trenchcoat and hat, letting his hair flow like a river on his back and over his shoulders, "This 'trip' of yours, what was its point?"

She smiled at him,

"I wanted to interview and study someone with Mako in his or her blood. I'm studying the effects of Mako and Jenova cells."

"What, like my Mother used to do?" his voice did not lack some worry.

"No. I'm not studying about this to figure out how to make Cetras from humans, I'm studying this from the other side." She got up and walked towards the bed, "I want to understand how does the Mako actually effect the person- Physically and mentally- what does it strengthen and what it weakens; Everything!" Then she added bashfully, "I get carried away when I talk about this… I know it doesn't interest you…"

His face expressed nothing, but his eyes were sad.

"On the contraire… I told you already that I have read the entire Shinra library, I know a thing or two on the subject."

She eyed him suspiciously,

"Like what?"

Sether thought a moment as he approached the only sofa in the room- his bed,

"I know that those who were infused with Jenova cells produced Mako inside their bodies, that went in to their bloodstream, for example." He couldn't help but think about Sephiroth. He had read so much in that place…

She raised her brows with astonishment.

"I'm impressed." Katai then exclaimed, "I'm going to 'The Fat Idiot'!"

She plopped on the bed and cuddled on her side.

The room was pretty nice, not too big nor too small. It was shaped in an L' shape. A small sofa stood against the wall in one corner, a modest TV stood near the apposing wall.

In the other side of the room was the bed Katai was purring in. Along that same wall was the closet Sether was struggling with. By the life of him he could not understand how they were able to put that huge blanket into that crummy, little closet.

A bit farther along was a small working table, the another end of the L' and the door out.

Opposite the closet was the door to the humble bathroom.

Sether was rummaging through the room's closet in search of a spare pillow and blanket for the sofa. He addressed Katai with obvious irritation in his voice,

"Are you planning on getting smashed?"

Katai laughed,

" 'Smashed'? Yes, if you mean getting drunk, I plan to do so very much, thank you."

He frowned,

"I would prefer if you could restrain yourself this night."

She sat on the end of the bed, both hands clasp between her legs.

"Why??" She whined.

Sether finally won the battle against the closet and the blanket was set free, throwing Sether back against the bathroom door, which chose that moment to open. Sether tripped on a small step that heightened the bathroom from the main room and fell.

All that Katai saw were his legs as he grunted out what might have been a curse.

"Weeelll…" She intoned casually, getting up and edging towards the door, "See ya!"

And she was gone.

Sether struggled with the unearthly big blanket before managing to find the light and throw the cursed thing off himself.

He stayed on his back on the bathroom floor some long moments, pondering his next move.

At last he could have some peace and quiet to himself. At last he could perhaps sit down and try to understand all the holydamn mess that confused the Meteor out of him.

At last he could be with himself, listen to nobody's whining, scoffing, yelping and annoying him.

He sighed.

Then he got up and grabbed his Trenchcoat with the sunglasses in pocket. His other hand reached to his hat.

She was still in his custody, (Just till tomorrow… He chanted to himself) and if something happens to her…

He washed his face and left the room.

He didn't even know where 'The Fat Idiot' was, and he didn't mean the bar.

The small machine continued to work, and was forgotten for the next 24 hours.

------------------------------------------------

"Sether and Katai are still at each other's thoats?" you may ask. Well, it takes time and _**will**_ to change. Don't worry, drinking will do them both good.


	10. Sether: Diffrence

Sether, Part 9: Difference

Difference: 

**Act 1**

After an hour of asking around, Sether entered 'The Fat Idiot', and spotted the fat idiot he was looking for.

The bar was mostly crowded, filled with people from all over the world who had gathered in this city to celebrate the coming Holy Day. The place was brightly lit. A few dozen round tables encircled a heightened dancing stage. Several booths with connected cushioned chairs rimmed the establishment's walls. To the left of the entrance were the drinks and, inseparably, the barman.

Sether quickly spotted Katai in one of the side booths, happily tapping her feet to the rhythm of a Jukebox near the stage.

"Hi." He said in a neutral tone, testing the waters as he wondered what state of drunkenness he would find her in.

She looked up at him with a surprised expression, then smiled,

"Heya, Seth! I'm glad you came- come on!" She made room for him by her side. The tip of her nose was a tad red.

"Are you drunk yet?"

She shook her head,

"Not as much as I plan to be- What about you? Do you plan to get 'smashed'?"

He frowned at her pestering, but said,

"If you don't mind me joining. I would not mind a drink or two myself."

He ordered a large tequila for himself from the cute waitress that passed by.

"You don't seem like the kind that drinks…" Katai was definitely on the tipsy side of the world.

Sether grinned his lopsided grin,

"You do not really know me." He thanked the woman when she brought his drink, "Try not to drink _too much, please…?"_

She pouted, and then much to Sether's surprise, leaned her shoulder on his. The unexpected contact confused him, but he indulged her since she was drunk.

"Since you are returning to your family tomorrow, I would not like to face your parents' (especially your Father's) wrath when I return you with a hangover. He would… Hang _me over."_

"Lousy joke, Seth."

"I know, sorry."

"Ya think I'm some kind of furniture?" She suddenly burst, "'Returning' me to my owners??" Her face went all red.

He smiled,

"You may have the wit of one, but no- I simply do not wish to be mauled by the good Mr. Highwind."

She leaned closely to his face and asked,

"You afraid of my Dad?" She flourished her hair in a stuck up manner.

Sether simply nodded, "Certainly." He gulped in spite of himself, "He's the only man who can best my D-- Father in unarmed combat…!"

She pushed herself even closer, and Sether withdrew his head with fright.

Poking him in the chest repeatedly she shouted,

"You were gonna say 'Dad'! You were gonna say 'Dad'! You don't really talk all that farty stuff!"

"'Farty stuff'…?" He repeated meekly, his throat suddenly very dry. Some of the blond strands that dangled in front of her face tickled his cheek, and he could feel her breath on his face.

He gulped hard and noticed with some wonderment that his breaths were short.

She stayed like that a long while. Or, at least, it seemed to Sether like a long while.

Then she slumped back to her drink as if nothing happened.

She was more drunk than Sether imagined.

It frightened him.

"Why do you talk like a fart?" She inquired politely after they both downed another glass or two.

Sether was only slightly light headed (Although being very much bigger than Katai, alcohol works much faster on an empty stomach.), but Katai seemed very much in seventh heaven.

One thing that was certain, the drinks loosened both their tongues a great deal.

"I'm not very good with people." Sether nodded his head, taking another gulp of his third tequila, "Talking like this… always gives me a safe distance from the people I talk to." Then he added with while shaking his head, "I can't really help it."

He carefully lifted his hat and let his bangs out. It wasn't comfortable for him to press them down like that, and they might also get crumpled. 

Crumpled bangs make a crumpled person.

He then realized that he himself was getting slightly more drunk than he had intended to.

Katai, in turn, did the next logical thing; she reached up and yanked his bangs hard.

This resulted in Sether's head being banged face first against the table. The glasses rattled.

He stayed that way a short while, listening to Katai's hysterical laughter.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself…" He mumbled, rubbing his nose, "Your parents are going to kill me if I return you with a hangover worse than what you're already going to have…!" He tried to grab her glass of beer, but she snatched it away and waved her hand,

"No biggy, I'll just return the day after tomorrow."

"But.. But.." Sether tried to snatch the glass again, "But.."

"In the meanwhile…" She suddenly smiled evilly, "I can have some fun…" Noticing her expression, Sether froze in his place- hand still stretched out for her drink. Again he gulped hard.

He must be imagining things. She was talking about shopping or… or… all that other 'girly fun' stuff he had heard about. He slowly withdrew his hand.

She was staring at him intensely, that vicious smile still on her pretty lips.

Don't think. Maybe you'll be saved.

He leaned back, mild panic etched on his face.

She leaned forward.

"K… Katai…" He stuttered, his racing heart beats so loud he could hardly hear himself, or the soft music, or the other people, "Please remember that you hate me… O… Okey?"

She kept leaning forward as he kept leaning back. Each inch he withdrew back he became more panicked.

Eventually Sether placed his hands behind his back and started edging away. Relentlessly, she continued to approach.

When Sether was at the edge of the connected chairs and leaning as far as he could from her, she gave up, mumbling "…Baka" And returning to her spot.

Sether straightened himself and wiped the sweat from his forehead,

"Phew-"

Of course, the attack came then.

Katai grabbed his cheeks, turned his head aggressively towards hers and kissed him passionately before he had time to react.

They remained thus a while.

Sether's eyes were open wide as far as they could, staring somewhere ahead blindly.

Then he blinked a couple of times.

Her lips felt hot against his, and that warmth was spreading from her lips to his, and from there to his entire body.

Looking around only with his eyes, he wondered how to react.

All in all, it felt… Good.

Then Katai broke the kiss as violently as it began.

That instant, Sether noticed that he was panting, for he had forgotten to breath.

"…Now your Dad is **_really going to kill me…" He said breathlessly, his eyes still wide, his expression that of a frightened child._**

She didn't seem to hear him. Or if she did hear him, her response was to throw her hands around his neck and pulled him into another kiss.

This time it took him less time to react, and he grabbed Katai's shoulders and pushed her away. He would not take advantage of her drunken state. She would be angry enough in the morning as it is.

She struck him as particularly pretty at that moment, her eyes sparkled their morning- sky blue, and her hair flowed like gold over one shoulder. Sether shuddered and withdrew his hands from her shoulders, not trusting himself.

In loss for words or breath, Sether said nothing, stared at nothing and thought nothing.

What brought him back to reality were some loud wolf whistles and cheering noises. Darting his eyes to one corner, he spotted Sephiroth standing there, whistling and doing circular motions with his fist in a 'way to go' kind of way.

Sether was shocked, flabbergasted, surprised and shocked again.

He was certain that his face was redder than Katai's when he had refused to explain seeing Sephiroth to her.

After a while, as his senses fully returned and the black sparks disappeared from his vision, the first logical thought that buzzed through his head was:

"You're dead, Sether."

His heart was thumping, his ears were buzzing. What had she done to him? He had no time for these kind of things!

"CUTE!" A shriek pierced his ears. He found that Katai was cuddled against him, looking at his face with a smile.

"C… Cute?" He repeated, trying to regain some of his manly composer and failing miserably.

"I knew it!" Katai poked his chest, "I knew that beneath all that 'I'm-so-cool-and-can't-be-bothered-by-you-mortal' attitude there's a lot of insecurity!"

"What the Meteor are you talking about?" He demanded quietly, noting to himself that it is a fine mess he had gotten himself into.

"You can know a lot about a man through the way he kisses." She fingered his silver bang absently.

Sether frowned, still very much red,

"You have much experience in this??"

Why was his chest still pounding? Why was his throat so dry? And why did he feel like such a fool?

She shook her head, looking across the room with far away eyes,

"No. Only one boyfriend. Nothing serious. He died a few years ago."

"I am sorry to hear." He said automatically, "What happened?"

She looked away, scanning the room through her drunken haze,

"It was an accident. I never really heard the details. I couldn't bare to ask his parents, and nobody really wanted to talk about it."

Sether looked at her with thoughtful eyes. She wasn't really that stuck up girl he had with him only a day ago. She, as everybody, also had her burdens, past hurts and past secrets.

"Did anyone else you knew ever died?" He didn't think before asking, and was surprised when she answered,

"Yes. My little brother."

"What?" Sether drew back so he could look at her face.

"We were kids." She began, her eyes hard, "We were just playing in the back yard. Then a wolf pushed himself through the fence and… Just like that… It ate him. Hardly needed to chew; he was so small. His blood even reached me."

Sether stared at her. He totally didn't expect this.

"I saw it all, and was screaming my head off. That's what brought Mom and Dad."

A tear strolled down her cheek even though her face was calm,

"One blow with my Dad's spear and the wolf was dead, adding a lot of blood to the mess."

Sether frowned,

"That's why you're afraid of blood and monsters. I apologize."

He recalled her panic when her jacket was soiled. He had to unbutton it for her back then, she had been so hysterical.

"It's strange, really," Sether mused out loud, "The way every person deals with loss and blood differently."

She turned up at him, wiping her eyes,

"What do you mean?"

He snapped out of his brooding and frowned,

"Nothing. It matters not."

It was an accident.

They ate dinner there and left. Katai kept drinking while dinner. Sether knew that at least one of them had to be sober enough to make it back to the inn.

In fact, Katai turned out to be so drunk, Sether had to carry her on his back. Not to mention she was way too drunk to pay the bill.

Sether grumbled. He nearly stumbled again as Katai swung her hands wildly, singing a song.

She snatched his hat from his head and placed it on hers. It was slightly too big on her, and the effect amused Sether.

Sether's hair again flowed over his shoulders. Katai giggled pointlessly and buried her face in the mass of soft locks.

Some distance away, Sephiroth walked with them towards the inn. He said nothing to Sether, and Sether said nothing to him.

"…_Did ya ever know…? That I had mine on yooooouuuu…!!!"_

"What are you 'singing'?" Sether chuckled in spite of himself at her merry disposition.

"A song from a video game I played once. Called 'Penultimate Fantasy'."

Sether grinned,

"I used to like those games too."

She leaned over his shoulder to look at his face,

"You don't anymore?"

He shook his head, ignoring how his cheeks went red as he could feel her breath on his jaw,

"Not anymore- Be serious; Drawing magic? Espers? 'Atomic energy'? People riding on huge 'horses', which look like giant dogs? Give me a break. Those things are just to imaginative for me."

Katai nodded her head with understanding, but said,

"Ya, well, but its nice to get out of the ordinary world for a change." She watched a chocobo with some Materia pass the street.

Since it was almost midnight, there weren't many people out.

The two and a half people slowly made their way towards the hotel.

**Act 2**

Sephiroth then approached them, and Sether understood that he wanted to talk.

"Hi." He greeted his older brother. Katai gave him a surprised look before noticing the glowing green eyes.

"Kombanwa, otouto!" Good evening, little brother!

Sether sighed,

"What is it this time?"

Katai was staring intently at those glowing eyes, feeling that same freezing sensation.

Sephiroth smiled,

"Except the time being now, I wanted to talk to you about helping me."

Sether smiled, starting to walk again alongside Sephiroth,

"O- genki desu ka, boukei?" How are you, deceased older brother?

Sephiroth's smile widened with the nickname,

"Genki desu… More or less." I'm well… "How's your shoulder?"

Sether gave him a resentful glare,

"Fine, considering that I still have a hole through my flesh."

To Katai, to whom certain angles made the green eyes disappear, it seemed as though Sether was talking to himself.

"Gomene…" Sorry… He scratched the back of his head with embarrassment. Then he started,

"Got any ideas how to free me?"

Sether stumbled, very much surprised,

"Ideas? I thought that you'd just tell me what to do or something."

Sephiroth shook his head,

"You played too much 'Penultimate Fantasy', otouto. It doesn't work like that in real life."

Sether was worried, he thought Sephiroth would tell him something like 'go get that' or 'destroy this' and that would be it. He probably _did play too much Penultimate Fantasy._

"What can I do then?"

Sephiroth shrugged,

"I don't know. All I know is that it has something to do with the fact that everybody hates me and I'm too dead to be alive and too alive to be dead."

"I don't hate you." Sether replied instantly.

Even though Katai understood that he said that to Sephiroth, she blinked in wonderment.

"Thank you. It means the world to me." Sephiroth sincerely said. Sether could swear he saw a tear in his brother's eye, but Sephiroth turned to look across the street before he could check.

Sether shrugged,

"I do not know how to help you. How can we make the world stop hating you?"

Sephiroth patted Sether's shoulder. His hand went through Katai and only stopped on Sether's back.

"I'm sure you'll think of something; you're much smarter than I ever was."

Sether chuckled bitterly,

"Ya, right. You know that I am nothing compared to The Great General Sephiroth."

Sephiroth drew back, giving Sether a look of 'you don't know better?'. He shook his head,

"No, Otouto, that's not true. You're much stronger and smarter than I ever was or ever will be- no matter how long I'll stay like this. You have something that I never had." Sephiroth withdrew his hand from Sether's shoulder, "You'll have to realize this on your own, I guess."

Sether lowered his head, a frown between his brows,

"What is it that I have, boukei?"

But Sephiroth was already gone.

"Dammit." Sether mumbled.

Katai was staring at him. It annoyed him,

"Stop it."

"You know what's really strange?" She asked. He wanted to say 'Beside my dead brother talking to me, and having strange headaches that make me pass out and that are growing stronger each day, and becoming too strong, and becoming too quick, and seeing Jenova…?' but kept silent.

"There're two Sethers!" She exclaimed. He rolled his eyes; she was probably seeing double.

"I mean," Here she leant over his left shoulder, looking at his profile with the silver bang, "like this, you're the Sad Sether. You're stiff and reticent and cold. From here," Here she leant her head over Sether's right shoulder, looking at his black bang, "you're a happier Sether. You tease and chuckle and annoy and smirk. What happened to make you this way?"

He raised his brows. She was a totally different person while drunk. 

Was what she said true? In a way, Sether presumed, she was right; every time he tried to be happy and goof around he would remember his left hand… and Ryotu…, and then he just wanted to jump off the nearest cliff.

It was an accident.

She threw her hands tightly around Sether's neck, choking him with a hug,

"It doesn't matter since: from now on, I only wanna see the Happy Sether! He's much cuter!"

Sether chuckled, removing an arm from holding Katai to loosen her death-grip.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." He hushed her. It was non of her business, anyway.

**Act 3**

Until they reached the hotel Katai had already fallen asleep on Sether's shoulders. While Sether liked to stay late at night and sleep into the morning, Katai liked to sleep early and wake early.

He placed her gently in the bed and took off her shoes. After pulling her to the pillow, he carefully tucked her in. She was going to wake up feeling bad enough as it was, at least let her sleep well before.

Her words bothered him, though, and he walked up to the window and opened it, letting the night's chill air enter.

It was completely black outside. This window faced a building. Not even the stars were visible. It was like opening a window into a black hole. Not the lights of the room nor the moon was able to penetrate that dark cream. Sether felt himself being sucked into it and clutched the window sill to feel his legs still on the ground. He couldn't tare his eyes away from that darkness, though. It beckoned him with it's nothingness.

'Guilt doesn't exist here.' It seemed to whisper.

'Pain can't be found here.'

'Torment? What's that?'

'There are no nightmares here.'

…It was an accident…

_It was an accident!_

He felt surrounded by it as he stared into its depths. 

_…Third rate Sephiroth clone…_

_…zero…_

_…Insane…_

In the last second did Sether snap out of his hallucinations to realize that he was loosing balance from a fourth story building. His body was dangerously leaning over nothingness. After some short panic, Sether was back in the room, panting hard and on his behind on the room floor.

The room spun around him and he felt his headache return.

Exhausted, Sether simply spread out on the floor and closed his eyes, falling asleep instantly.

He had bad dreams. But that was nothing new.

------------------------------------------------

The next chapters will be here in a while, so this is your chance to tell me what you'd like to see, what you don't like and what you think about the story!  
Please? If you like this story, it will help me keep it lovable, and if you don't like it, tell me, and maybe I could write better!  
Talk to me, people!


	11. Sether: Kids

Sether: Hidden, Unseen: Kids

**Kids:**

**Act 1**

"Ever been here before, Seth?" Katai inquired over a rack of clothing.

Sether and Katai were currently in a women's clothing boutique.

"Yes. Once. With my parents, some years back. I hardly remember anything besides getting mobbed."

"Huh?" Katai suddenly gave Sether more attention than the outfit she was holding.

"Mobbed. You know: People with pitchforks and torches, superstitions, yelling, stabbing… Oh, and don't forget the stoning."

Katai glared at Sether,

"You never told me you were **mobbed…"**

"I never told you a lot of things." He shrugged, eyeing the women's clothing with distrust.

"Why? Why did you do?"

Here Sether gave a small start,

"What did _I do? __I didn't do anything!"_

"Come on, Seth, people don't just mob someone without a reason- You did something."

Sether shrugged again, and said with a casual tone,

"It wasn't the first time…"

Katai rolled her eyes, giving him a 'you're not serious' face,

"Maybe you were _mugged, but you probably were never __mobbed- we live in a modern society! People are waaay past mobbing people with pitchforks, baka! What are you trying to pull?"_

For the third time, Sether shrugged,

"Let us just get out of this store, it's giving me the creeps."

"These are women's clothes, they won't attack you."

Sether edged away towards the shop's exit,

"Now, if these were Iguanas, I should have been worried, silly me." After mocking her and receiving a murderous glare, he said, "I'll be waiting outside, if you'll be needing anything."

He left the store.

Looking around, he saw it was still a bright day. A chilly wind reminded all those present that winter was at the door. A small park across the road caught Sether's eye, for a small amusement park was set up there, as a part of the Holy Day attractions.

Holy day was two days away, meaning that Sether was three days away from his birthday.

He felt so old.

After all, he didn't really _live for almost three years._

It was an accident.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and noticed that his legs took the liberty of walking towards the park.

There were some kids there, playing and squealing happily on various rides and structures.

A young woman with brown hair and white robes was assembling another structure.

Just before a heavy metal bar slipped from her grip, Sether helped her,

"Whoa! There you go, Miss."

She brushed some hair from her face and looked up at him,

"Thank you very much, sir!"

He smiled politely at her, then glanced at the children,

"You are responsible for this park?"

"Yes," She nodded her head, giving the kids a loving look, "My Order decided to use the money we raised to make this year's Holy Day better than last year."

Sether examined her from behind his glasses,

"From the white robes with the green orbs, I would say that you are from New Aeris. Correct?"

She smiled bashfully and fingered her hair to stay behind her ear,

"Yes. I'm Marlene Wallace, a sister from New Aeris."

Sether raised his brows,

"Marlene? As in Barret's daughter?"

She nodded. He offered her his hand,

"My name is Sether, Miss Wallace, Sether Valentine."

She stared at him in surprise,

"Vincent has a son??"

He nodded and she shook his hand.

"I'm delighted to meet you, my father told me a lot about your Dad."

"My pleasure." Sether replied, he glanced once again at the children and asked, "Need any help with the kids?"

Act 2 

When Katai came out of the store, she couldn't find Sether.

She looked around a bit and found that spotting the six feet warrior with the broad shoulders, his broad rimmed hat and black trenchcoat wasn't too hard to spot.

She was surprised at what he was doing, though.

She started crossing the street in order to reach the park when a car came screeching to a stop. The driver stuck his head out of the window and started yelling at Katai for not watching before crossing the street. She in reply started cursing him a language that would probably make her daddy so proud. This of course drew a lot of attention to Katai, and Marlene noted,

"What a uncouth woman. Do you know her? She's coming here."

Sether almost lost balance,

"Yes. She and I were traveling together a short while. I promised her parents I'll take care of her."

By now Katai was finish besmirching the driver's heritage and reached Sether and Marlene.

"Seth, what on Planet are you doing?"

Sether Valentine was knee deep in children. They were hanging from his arms, grabbing his legs and tugging his overcoat.

And he was smiling.

He seemed happy.

"This is rich." Katai placed her hands on her hips, giving Sether another one of them 'I don't believe you' looks.

"What?"

"Sether I'm-so-cool-and-can't-be-bothered-by-you-mortal Valentine: Is good with children."

Ignoring her criticism, he mused out loud,

"You said the same thing last evening. You must have put a lot of thought into that sentence…"

"What are you talking about? I don't remember anything from last night."

Sether inhaled sharply and looked away, face getting pretty flushed. Ignoring the kid hanging from his arm, he readjusted his raybands,

"Oh."

So it didn't mean anything?

She just…

For no reason?

"Anyway- You just don't strike me as the kind that would be good with kids, that's all."

Here Marlene placed a delicate hand on Katai's arm,

"Oh, he's wonderful with them. He'd make a great husband one day." 

At this point the wild children forgot that even mighty Sether had his limits and he fell with a surprised grunt to the grass. No children were harmed during his fall.

Sether sat up, having a hard time repressing his laughter. However, just then, a playful kid decided to grab Sether's wide-brimmed hat.

A flow of silver hair ensued, surprising Sether, but not as half as it surprised Marlene.

"Dear Holy!" She shrieked, and started running towards the children. Katai tried to reach to grab her arm and talk to her, but Marlene's panic was so intense, her speed was unexpected.

She grabbed as many kids as she could in her arms and carried them a few steps away, calling the rest of the kids to join her. Sether, at first, was alarmed, thinking there was danger around, but when he saw Marlene's eyes as she called the children to her, he settled on the ground with a dejected smile. He looked curiously aside as one youngster, ignoring Marlene's distressed beckoning, smiled at Sether and gave him back his hat.

Only then did he waddle to Marlene.

Sether placed the hat on his head again with a smooth gesture, and gave Marlene a disappointed look, the smile still playing on his lips.

"I demand that you leave, monster." Marlene straightened herself, her voice shaking with fear.

"…monster, eh…?" Sether got up, dusting himself.

"Why you little ^&##@!!!"

All eyes reverted to Katai. Surprisingly enough, she was not assaulting Sether, but Marlene.

"How dare you, you &*@^(^!, &!@#^ ^%&@!# !!!"

Sether stared at Katai, face getting red with each word.

"I hope you---" Sether's palm on Katai's mouth gave her a start.

"…Not in front of the children." He whispered. His eyes were hidden by the hat, but his voice was infinitely softer than ever before, "Its okay."

"What do you mean 'its okay?! It's not okay! She has no right- Just because you look like S—"

"I probably would have hurt them, anyway."

This left Katai speechless.

Sether turned around and started walking down the street, encouraging Katai along and leaving Marlene, terrified, to stare after his retreating back.

Once they were far enough Katai burst,

"I can't believe you let her do that! ARGH!"

Sether only smiled.

"If I were you, I would teach her a thing or two! Like whack! Wham! And another one on the head- Bam!" She punched air, face turning red.

Sether smiled at her. Yet his eyes were very sad,

"I probably would have hurt them, eventually." He repeated.

"Why do you say that?! That's not true!! I can't imagine you harming a kid!"

"No, not deliberately, of course. But… Eventually. I almost laughed, you know."

Katai gave him a weird look,

"So what if you would laugh?"

Sether gave her another one of his crocked smiles,

"You never heard me laugh." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Katai blinked with confusion,

"Now that I think of it, you never laugh… You chuckle Like this; 'Heh-heh-heh'. I wanna hear how you laugh!" Scientific curiosity taking over once again, Katai poked Sether's chest repeatedly, emphasizing her request.

"No. You don't." He gave her a cold stare. Understanding that he was probably not in a very good mood, Katai said,

"You're such a jerk!"

Sether rolled his eyes to the sky, but said nothing.

Katai continued, pretending to talk to herself, yet making sure Sether heard,

"Of all the people I could have ended up traveling with, I find me a ugly jerk, who's afraid to kill an Iguana!" She scoffed, fluffing her hair into her companion's face.

Sether smiled his crocked smile,

"At least you don't have to travel with someone who will look like a man if she cut her hair short…!"

Katai contorted her face and scoffed again,

"You would wish you could look like a man, you little girl, you!"

"I wish I could be half the man you are, Katai." He teased, feeling better. 

Katai laughed,

"Oh, shut up, jerk, and let's go see the decorations for Holy Day!"

They ran together a few blocks until they reached the end, or rather, the beginning of Corel City's main street.

Down the street they saw the ever-famous cart-thingie to the Golden Saucer, and up the street, was an old train, crashed dramatically into a small park that was erected around it.

Katai scratched the back of her head with embarrassment,

"Heheh… My Dad did that."

Sether gave her an inquisitive look, and Katai blushed,

"Wweeeell… When my dad was still in Avalanche, this train was going to hit Corel. So he wanted to stop it."

Sether looked back at the train.

"It looks rather stopped to me."

With a nod, Katai said,

"…He used Corel itself to stop it."

"In other words, he failed."

"No one was killed!!!" Katai stomped her foot, face getting redder.

Sether only smiled and continued down the road. There was no need to rub her father's failure in.

Besides, she may not know it, but his father was there as well, and he also did not succeed in stopping the train from colliding.

"Shall we go and get you packed?" Sether asked, still smiling.

"Huh?"

"Get you packed."

"Yes I heard what you said. Why should I pack?"

Sether's smile faded,

"So… You can go to the Golden Saucer and from there home, of course."

"Didn't we agree that you need medical attention?" She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a steady stare.

"No. I'm fine. Really. You should go."

Katai shook her head and commented with pride,

"Nope! I'm staying with you, at least until we get those results!" And she strode down the street with her head held high.

Sether sighed. He was trying to protect her, didn't she understand? He wasn't planning on having to be her human shield all the time. He had better things to do with his time. Why was she being so difficult?

He wanted to go and train, he wanted to kick the butts of those Sephiroth clan people, he wanted to help Sephiroth, he wanted to maybe return home in one piece…

Nope. He just had to keep risking her life. What did he care what happens to himself?!

But she… She wasn't there to die. No, that was his job.

He was still standing there when Katai suddenly came by his side and grabbed his arm. He was so deep in thought, she surprised him. That surprise enabled Katai to start dragging Sether with her.

"Come on!" She cried happily, oblivious to Sether's mood, "I found a great place to eat lunch!"

Act 3 

Katai dragged him into the 'Chocobo Delight', a fancy restaurant with a 'wark' twist.

They were led to a table with a view to the street. A waitress approached them to receive their order.

Katai ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, while Sether asked for something more reasonable.

The waitress winked at Sether and left, receiving a mean look from Katai.

Sether raised his brows.

"She was rude!"

Sether did not reply.

"She was, I'm telling you!" She slammed her fist on the table, ignoring various odd looks in her direction.

Sether kept silent.

"Anyway!" a shade of red crossed her cheeks, "You look a little pale. Are you feeling okay?"

Sether shrugged, looking thoughtfully out the window.

Silence.

The waitress brought them their dishes, and again winked to Sether, who didn't even notice. A murderous glare from Katai made the waitress run along to her other costumers.

Katai started chomping happily on her food. Sether just kind of played with it.

"What, no appetite?"

Sether gave his food a sad look. His thoughts elsewhere.

"…I wonder how father is doing…?"

Katai's shoulders sunk slightly, but then she said,

"Oh! So all the moody-ness is just Sethy-wethy being homesick! How cute!"

Sether glanced at her. Katai nodded her head in an approving manner and waved her fork in front of her, to emphasize her point,

"Don't get me wrong, Seth, I get homesick a lot. Especially when I'm home- I get so sick of it!"

Sether smiled.

She continued to chomp,

"Once, when I was at my boyfriend's place, my parents got so worried they came all the way to his place just to give me a jacket, 'in case I was cold'." She smiled with the memory, "And of course the subject of when I was coming home just popped into their minds, totally by accident, 'Dearest, by the way…' Oy! Parents!"

Sether nodded. He started eating too,

"That is true."

"There was this time, when me and Dad still used to go get 'smashed' together that we went to a karaoke bar… They threw us out and told my dad that if he came there again they'd call the cops!"

"Why?What did your father do?"

Katai smiled a mischievous smile,

"He brought me with him."

Sether chuckled, "I would kick you out too, if you started singing."

Katai pouted and pretended to be insulted,

"If I'm not mistaken, you're already trying to kick me out, arn'tcha?"

Sether grew serious at this,

"That is not the reason I am asking you to leave. I am just concerned with your   
safety-"

"Yada-yada!" Katai waved her fork at him again, "Lighten up, dude!"

"Dude?!" Sether nearly chocked on his food, "When did people stop saying 'dude'? fifty years ago?"

Katai laughed,

"My dad says 'dude' when he's trying to be 'cool' and 'in'."

Sether joined the chuckling,

"My mother still uses words like 'wicked' and 'bodacious' when she is trying to cross the generation gap."

They laughed. At least Katai did, Sether chuckled.

"Generation gap, my butt! When my dad joined Avalanche, Cloud was 21, and he managed to save the world! I'm close to that age, and he won't let me go on a research project alone!"

Sether tilted his head, chewing thoughtfully,

"It is dangerous out there, you know." This reminded him of something, "When we just moved to Wutai I was really young, so I did not know I was supposed to walk around with my hair and eyes covered. So some people started chasing me."

Katai listened attentively. Sether continued, his tone light,

"I ran home as fast as I could, crying like a baby."

"How old were you?"

"Around three or four."

"That _is_ a baby."

"Do you want to hear the story?"

"Sorry."

"When I got home, father protected me in his arms. When the attackers came, he gave them a stern lecture about attacking defenseless children and what a bunch of meanies they were."

Katai was baffled,

"That's it? All he did was lecture them? _Vincent Valentine_ **lectured** them?"

Sether nodded, and smiled his crocked smile,

"Then my mother came out with a broom and started chasing them away, beating the crap out of them."

Katai burst with laughter.

Afterwards, they ordered some wine, just to relax.

"If there's one thing we agree upon, is that alcohol is bliss!" Katai beamed with the thought of spiked beverage.

"What shall we toast to?" Sether inquired, both their glasses filled with crimson liquid and held in their hands.

"A safe journey, good fights and lotsa drinks!"

Sether smiled and they toasted, the sound of the glasses echoing nicely in their ears.

Next chapter: Second (Soon)  
  
Hey! Please tell me what you think so far... Coming in the next chapters: Sether learns about what makes him ill. Katai learns more about Sether's past. The ominous 'Ryuto' haunts Sether's past and present.  
Please let me know if you want more!   
  
LunarBlade Z. Valentine.  
Http://kickme.to/TheAncientCapital/ 


	12. Sether: Mortality

Sether: Hidden, Unseen: Mortality

**Mortality**:  
  
**Act 1**

Looking for a host… The Thing desperately clawed through bodies. But no one was strong enough… No one had enough of it in him to hold It.

And then… A light.  
A body strong enough? Yes: A spirit dominated by passion and zeal, a spirit ready to fight, and good at it, too.

The Thing screeched with horrendous glee before devouring that soul.

Act 2 

How much longer could the body hold on? A week, two maybe…?

The body was at lost, the degradation too fast, the supply demand too high. Nothing could be done anymore.

Nothing.

Just to…

Act 3 

It trudged along, drawn by something. Now that something was making him dizzy. The gigantic mind could not fathom complex problems, so it chose to ignore it and move on. It was also having moral problems, and it was not used to that. Those little square things it stepped on bothered him. They had tiny thingies in it, and it felt bad.

Another relativly short chapter- but please understand that this information is very imprtant to the climax of the story!  


LunarBlade@comicsfan.net


	13. Sether: Results

Sether: Hidden, Unseen: Results

**Results:  
  
**

**Act 1**

By the end of the meal their glasses were empty, their stomachs were full and they were more or less happy.

"…My dad cooks _that_ bad. Mom says there must be something in the 'Jenova treaty' that forbids him to ever cook!"

Sether chuckled, shoulders going up and down with suppressed laughter.

"My father once mistook plaster for flour…"

Katai burst with laughter,

"Oh, I know _that_ story! Dad never misses an opportunity to tell us that…!"

When they left the restaurant, it was mid afternoon.

The two spent the rest of the dusk walking around town. 

They ate some ice cream, Katai bought some souvenirs, Sether was dragged into some more ladies clothes shops, and then dragged Katai into a shop he liked.

"A book store?! You like reading books?"

Sether seemed insulted,

"What's wrong with books, Ms. Makologist?"

Katai shook her head, picking a book from a shelf,

"Nothing, nothing. I just… Didn't think you're the reading type…"

"…I'm just one surprise after another, huh?" A hint of sadness crept into his voice, so he quickly said, "Aside from training, I like to read books. Now you know more about me. Happy?"

Katai put down the book. She clasped both hands beside her cheek and opened her eyes wide, making them sparkle in the artificial light of the store.

"_Oh, yes! All my dreams are now reality! I can die in bliss where I stand! Can this moment last forever…? _" She squeaked, fluttering her eye lashes and then bursting with laughter.

Sether shook his head at her insanity, but couldn't help himself but chuckle as well.

Sether bought himself a book and they continued down the same street they were on.

Katai sighed with content, stretching her hands over her head,

"So what now?"

It was already dark, but that didn't stop plenty of people from being out, in fact, the city seemed even livelier when the night-lights were on.

Sether felt overwhelmed again by the people and the lights.

"We get you packed."

She pouted, and then fluffed her hair,

"Cut it out, baka, I ain't goin' nowhere until we get those results."

"That reminds me-" Sether poked her forehead, "-Isn't it time we got those?"

Katai blinked at him a few minutes, not really understanding what he said. She was so used already to using that as an excuse, she forgot it was real. She glanced at her watch,

"Oh!"

She started running towards the hotel, Sether a step behind.

"Why are you so excited?" Sether huffed by her side.

"If you really got Jenova cells in ya, it could get really interesting for me…!"

Sether looked at her with worry,

"…Interesting…?"

"You know what I mean!" Katai shouted, doubling her speed. For Sether, her top speed was pretty slow, yet prevented him from asking further.

Halfway there drops of rain started falling. A few at first, but slowly harder.

Sether grabbed Katai from around her waist and flung her over his shoulder, dispite her cries of surprise. With one hand he kept her from falling, and with the other he kept his hat from flying with the wind. Sether doubled his speed.

He had promised her parents he'll take care of her, after all.

Sether was drenched while Katai experienced only slight dampness.

Act 2 

They reached the hotel room, and Katai immediately rushed to her precious apparatus.

"I can win a prize if I discover anything new in the Jenova subject, you know?!" She was still panting as she started checking everything eagerly. Sether tried to peek over her shoulder, however, since he understood very little of what she was doing, he shrugged and headed towards the shower.

"Aah…" Katai sighed with disappointment, "It still needs another ten minutes…" She pouted and sat on the bed, clasping her hands between her legs and waiting.

She was about to call out to Sether when she heard the water start running.

"What are the results? Can you go home now?" She heard him call above the rush of the water. She came and leaned on the wall near the bathroom's door,

"Nope, ten more minutes. According to the results, I might need some more samples and tests, you know."

"No, you would need no such thing." He said, his voice stern, "You will check your toy and you will go home. I cannot let you be in any risk."

She scoffed. Then she thought he probably didn't hear her. Closing her eyes in irritation, she scoffed again,

"I'll choose where I go and what I do, thank you." Then she added, "Besides, with all your collapsing, I'd think you'd _want_ me with you…!"

"…I desire no such thing." Katai could tell when he became annoyed, because he would start using his most 'fartiest' language.

There was a long pause, in which Katai just leaned there, listening to the water.

"…What are you doing now?" She asked, and chuckled as she heard Sether drop something. His voice was slightly panicked when he replied,

"That is n… none of your b…business!"

Katai laughed and turned her head at the door,

"What would happen if I would walk in right now?"

She heard some muffled noises, and could only imagine Sether's reaction at this.

"You would not dare…!" His voice was still frightened. Really, he could be such a little boy sometimes.

"Didn't you lock the door?"

"I… I thought you would be busy with your thing-a-bub, so I… forgot."

"Really," She smiled, "What are you doing?"

Sether could be heard shuffling things again. Katai gathered that he returned to place things he took to cover himself if she would have chosen to realize her threat. She laughed some more.

"If you _must_ know," he said in a petty tone, "I'm putting hair conditioner."

Katai was silent a long moment, staring at the floor in a daydream, she then shook her head furiously, blushing heavily.

"Wha… Oh, Hair conditioner." She was smiling again, blush subsiding, "So that's why your hair's so fluffy…!"

He could be heard sighing in exasperation, "What's wrong with taking care of one's hair…?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just didn't expect a though-guy like you to be doing it."

Again he sighed,

"Even 'tough-guys' need to wash, or you'll only have stinky-tough-guys, and no one really wants that, do they?"

Katai laughed,

"Was that an attempt at humor?" He didn't answer. After a moment Katai was pouting again,

"I need to use the bathroom." She said and heard something fall again.

"You will have to wait!" He barked, "You are the one who chose this room- Live with it!"

Katai was a person used to having her way. So she opened the door and entered.

Indeed, he did not lock the door. Katai's fun was destroyed by the shower curtain, though, which was drawn.

She did her business there, and waited.

The water kept running a while then stopped. There were some noises.

"Are you coming out or what?" She asked, now leaning on the door from the inside.

There was a long pause.

His voice was very, very strained when he asked in return,

"Are you… Inside… the bathroom?"

"Yup!"

Katai could only imagine the amount of things that fell after her statement, but gathered that a considerable amount of them fell on Sether's tows by his reactions to the commotion.

He did not notice her enter the bathroom.

He sneezed, then said in a small voice,

"…Could you please pass me the towel…?"

A wet hand appeared from behind the curtain and pointed towards a heap beside Katai. Sether's clothes and towel rested there.

"Nope." She was smiling deviously, "You'll have to get out and take it yourself, I presume."

The pointing hand disappeared.

"I was afraid you would say that." He mumbled miserably.

Katai chuckled, how was he going to get out this one? She _will_ give him his towel… _eventually_.

It was his turn to squirm a little for all the things he had put her through these two days.

"…If I were to ask you really nicely, would you give it to me?" he asked. Actually, he was getting pretty annoyed, but tried to suppress it at the moment until he was decent.

"You can try." She sweetly tilted her head, waiting for him to beg.

"Katai," he started, "Would you pretty please give me my towel?"

She considered this a moment until her smile widened,

"Nope!"

Sighing in final defeat, Sether opened the curtain and stepped out of the shower. 

He stepped up to Katai, his face in annoyed defiance. He was but a foot from her.

Katai stared at him with wide eyes filled with surprise.

Water was dripping to a puddle by his feet. Their eyes met. One pair annoyed, the other shocked.

Taking his towel, he wrapped it firmly around his waist with a defiant swish.

"Do. Not. Annoy. Me." He hissed.

She stared at him a full minute, frozen in her place.

After a short while of this, Sether's face was getting _very_ red with embarrassment.

He used the fact that she was totally out-of-it to grab her shoulders and shove her gently but firmly out of the bathroom.

He shut the door after her and was sure to lock it this time.

She stared into space a while after that, just gaping at somewhere in dreamland.

"Baka." She mumbled eventually, holding a hand to her forehead.

"…" Was his reply.

She shook her head and breathed deeply.

"Maybe that'll teach you not to annoy me." He muttered, still vexed.

"Actually," She was smiling again, "That was fun!"

She started laughing as she heard things fall again.

Act 3 

The door of the bathroom flung open, and a Sether came out, still blushing up to his ears. He was wearing his pants now, though.

"You are the most annoying person I have ever met in my entire life!" He growled, taking a seat on the sofa and trying to put a shirt on his still damp body. The result was that he was tangled hopelessly in it.

Katai ignored him and went to check her apparatus.

The results were… Unbelievable.

She checked again.

And again.

Again.

The same.

Of course, this could mean only one thing…!

"…Oh… My… Holy…" She breathed, placing one delicate hand over her heart, to quite its furious beatings.

Slowly, her head turned to Sether.

Who was still struggling with his shirt. His hair was damp and clung to his back, even though his bangs defied gravity. Katai's thoughts were elsewhere as she looked at him, her expression was that of disbelief.

Finally he managed to unroll the shirt and wear it properly, not caring if it clung to him in its dampness.

He got up angrily,

"Listen, missy," He hissed, stepping up to her and holding his finger in front of her face, "I do not need your help, I do not need your annoyingness, I do not need you to distract me, understand?"

She blinked at him. In her distracted state, it took a moment for his words to sink in.

She too got up in irritation,

"I'm…" She gulped hard, "…just trying to help you, you jerk!"  
"Help?!" He threw his hands in the air, "_Help_? You want to _help_ me? Get yourself out of this mess, that will help me. Go back home and live your pacifistic life away from me, that will help me. Stop annoying me, that will help to no end!"

Her face getting red, she held her finger in front of his face,

"You've got no &*@ right to order me around! I can do whatever I &!#%$ want!"

He shook his head in agitation, bringing a hand to his forehead,

"No you don't, don't you get it? I promised your parents I'll protect you, that I did do, but I have things to do! I have goals and fights to fight, I can't just be your…" he waved his hands vaguely in the air, anger making finding the right words harder, "…your bloody _plaything_, here for your amusement!"

"Plaything?! I was just playing a prank on you, you jerk! You don't need to get all angry about it! I would have given you your &*#!@$ towel if-"

"That's not what I meant!" He barked, "You're playing with my heart- and I don't have bloody time for stupid games!"

She shook her head,

"What are you talking about?"

Again Sether held his finger in front of her face,

"I'm talking about you ruining my first kiss, that's what I'm talking about! About teasing me…! You're playing with my heart, and I want you to stop it!"

She stared at him, then slapped him,

"How dare you claim I kissed you? How ^&#%$ing dare you?!" She was shivering with anger.

He rolled his eyes,

"Yesterday, in the bar, you were drunk and you kissed me, you bloody idiot! Do I look like a toy that you can play with and throw aside? That you can tease and tease to no end?! I'm walking towards what might be my last fight, I have Sephiroth to deal with, my whole body hurts all the bloody time, Jenova's out to kill me, the Sephiroth clan is probably after me, my Dad's in a coma, I've never been in love before and all you're interested is playing around! _I. Can't. Deal. With. That. Right. Now! _I'm dying for a some _peace and quite_!"

"**You _are_ dying, jerk**!" Her tears chocked her, "And I didn't kiss anyone since Ryuto died, you…!"

Her hand flew to slap him again, but this time he caught it half way and held her wrist. Something twitched in his face for less than a split-second. Katai gasped as between one blink and the other, his pupils became cat-like. 

The look he gave her was far from nice. 

It was much more scary than the one he had after the fight with the Rokadilo. Back then, he was still human-looking. 

This was… Stone-cold and razor sharp…

In her fright, she yelped.

His pupils returned to normal with another blink, the terrifying look in them gone and replaced by fear. 

"You… You're hurting me..!" She sobbed, trying to tug her hand from his grip.

He let her go and stumbled back,

"…What did you say?"

"I said you were hurting me..." She then realized the weight of her previous statement and added "T…The results… You… You're dying." 

He blinked at her.

"…Ryuto…?" He mumbled, confusion and shock etched on his face,

"My first boyfriend. He died. I told you about him… Didn't I?"

Silence.

Katai stared at Sether. He kept backing away. His lower lip trembled, trying to form words. His eyes were lost in the sea of his distress, darting across the floor.

He could have killed her a moment ago; he was an inch from doing so.

Ryuto… She was… She was his girlfriend… And he…

Dying.

He was dying.

The collapses had a reason. The pain in his body. It was because he was ill. Terminally ill. It made sense, really… Jenova, she said it was so…

Dying…

Ryuto…

_An accident… It was an accident…_

He raised his head slowly to look at Katai.

She was looking at him with fear. Again.

He did not see the worry underneath.

After taking in a few more shallow, fast breaths, he left. 

He didn't look back when she called his name. 

He just walked and walked and walked.

  
Be sure to tell me what you think of this dramaric turn of events!   
Don't miss the exciting next episode of _** Sether: Hidden, Unseen! **_

Next chapter: Ryuto (Soon)  
LunarBlade@comicsfan.net


	14. Sether: Hurting

Sether: Hidden, Unseen; Hurting

**Hurting**

**Act 1**

Katai was blinking her emotions at the floor, not really knowing what were those feelings, tumbling inside her gut.

She frowned; the memories of her drunken stupor came in a haze.

She kissed him. Twice.

She remember him pushing her away, his eyes gentle and frightened.

So different from the condescending look he gave her first time they met.

Different from the looks he gave her when he was mad at her.

Different from the exasperation he showed when she demanded to know about Sephiroth.

So different from that murderous glare he frightened her with.

And totally and completely different from the glowing, hovering ones that belonged to his dead brother.

She sighed heavily, not really knowing what to do.

Katai then shook her head in dismay. 

She started packing.

When almost everything was inside her Store materia, her hands brought to her a hat and a trenchcoat. The treanchcoat was slightly worn, and pitch black. From the pocket peeked a pair of slim sunglasses.

Katai's eyes grew wider.

The hat in her other hand was pretty old. It was cowboy-ish.

Inhaling sharply, Katai turned and rushed out of the room, the trenchcoat and hat in her hands.

Act 2 

When Sether managed to surface from his sea of anguish, he found himself in the park. Further down the little coddled path was the small park Marlene had put up.

He found that he was holding a piece of bread in his hands. He also discovered that the pigeons were giving him a look, as if asking why he had stopped crumbling it.

He started picking pieces from it and tossing them to the birds. Apparently he was doing this for some while, but only now was he fully aware of his doings.

He crumbled the whole piece in his mighty hands and tossed the crumbs to the birds.

Sether looked at his hands; big and calloused from training. He slowly turned his left hand over and watched the back of his palm with a grim look.

These are the hands that could kill Katai. _Kill_ that ridiculous creature. End her life, no more. No more annoyances, no more teasing, no more playing with his heart, no more scoffing, no more making him laugh, or at least, chuckle.

He had fun today, if you ignore the homicidal episode. More fun then he had in ages.

He didn't have such a good time since Ryuto died.

Funny, Ryuto always complained to Sether how insignificant he felt, but here he was, messing up Sether's life like nobody's business.

Sether had only himself to blame; it wasn't Ryuto's fault.

…It was an accident…

He wished it were…

And Katai was his girlfriend? He didn't know who was more miserable: Ryuto or Katai?

A sliver of a bitter smile passed his lips, fading as fast as it appeared.

Ryuto wasn't miserable anymore, thanks to Sether.

Now that he thought of it, Sether could almost be certain he had seen Katai at the funeral. But since he was so far away, he couldn't really tell faces.

He gulped hard to force back the lump of tears in his throat. What if someone were to see the mighty Sether on the verge of tears like some… some… Katai.

She probably used the time and escaped. If she knew what was good for her, that's what she did.

The birds kept pecking around, oblivious to his turmoil.

He could have killed her.

And instead, he was dying. That thought forced him to take a deep breath of air. And another.

Dying. He was dying. No more Seth-chan!

No more Sether.

What an odd thought.

He wondered if someone (beside his parents) would miss him?

Who would? Ryuto's parents? The Highwinds, whose daughter he nearly slaughtered?

Again the bitter smile.

All these were silly thoughts. He didn't really understand yet that he was going to die.

Sure, he faced death here and there. Its not like he fought a lot of death defying battles. He was a warrior, and so, was familiar with the concept of dying when-not-old. But he figured it'd be swift- a jab to the chest- Bam! No more Sether.

But dying of a sickness? He didn't even ask why he was dying… It slipped his mind in favor of not murdering her.

A question lingered in his mind. About Ryuto and Katai.

He tilted his head just so as he pondered.

Another smile.

The way she looked at him; like he was another iguana… A monster.

"Monster!"

That's right.

"**Monster**!!"

The yell suddenly jolted him from his brooding. He shook his head and looked around, alarmed.

Marlene was there, shouting from some distance away.

It took Sether a few moments to realize she was shouting at him.

It took Sether some more time to realize that there were quite a lot of people behind her.

The latest realization, though, was that he was without his hat, without his trenchcoat and without his sunglasses.

He was a Sephiroth clone in broad night-light. He straitened and gave the group a concerned look.

"Damn." He said plainly, lacking the mental strength to even panic properly.

No worry, the panic was slowly but surely gripping his heart as he raised from the bench he was sitting on.

Act 3 

Marlene was glaring at him, hatred that came from fear in her eyes. Sether gave them a worried look, not knowing what to do.

It is good to mention that they all had what the police would call 'blunt instruments' in their hands.

"For the sake of our children, and for the fate of the entire world, we shall end you; oh, One Winged Angel!" She pointed an accusing finger at Sether, who took a step back.

The people behind Marlene shouted and waved their weapons. Sether started shaking his head as he retreated backwards,

"Hey…! You… You got the wrong guy…! I am not… I am not Sephiroth!"

But they didn't listen. Marlene was too into her religious zeal to listen, too much enjoying being a hero to hear him.

"Herald of destruction and wielder of the Black Materia; prepare to die!"

As the people roared and started rushing towards him, Sether turned tail and started running.

He could have evaded them in no time, were he in top shape, but he was both physically and mentally exhausted, not to mention panicked and afraid.

Yes, he was very much afraid as he dashed through the park and into the city's streets. Afraid of what they might do if they would catch him, and afraid of what he himself might do if he gave in to his fear…

Afraid of the senseless pain that came each time. Afraid of the looks and stares in the people's eyes when they had beaten him…

He ran on.

He had no idea were he was going to; the only thought was that he had to escape. He could constantly hear their angry voices. Hear Marlene urging them on.

He didn't even stop when he reached an intersection in the road. He started crossing when a car came screeching by. But Sether didn't have time to be hit by cars; he leapt, back-flipped over the car, and continued on. The driver opened the door and stared as a mob rushed afterwards.

Running.

All he could do was run. His breaths were panicked gasps, his heart raced and his head pounded. If anyone were to see his face, it would be a mask of fright. His eyes were wide with terror and his teeth clenched.

This wasn't an exorcism of evil, it wasn't self-defense; It was a hunt.

Sether; the prey. The pain and misery of countless people who were raised and thought to hate the One Winged Angel; the hunters.

And they were closing in.

More and more streets zoomed by. Faceless, merciless. No sanctuary for the wicked! Die, messenger of evil! Herald of destruction!

Another turn, another street.

No place to hide, no place to stop.

His strength started failing as his breaths became pained gasps. Too much of his strength was used to control himself back at the hotel, too much strength taken by trying to cope with the new news.

As he ran through the city, more people saw him.

More hunters joined the hunt.

People who had no one else to blame. He looked enough like his brother for them to hate. That's good enough, isn't it?

His running was now a continuous struggle to just keep on his feet. His strides more stumbling than running.

Don't look back! Don't look back!

_"Die!"_

_"Death to the murderer!"_

He was… A murderer…

He was the monster they feared…

Ryuto…?

_"Die!"_

He cried out as Marlene finally caught up with him and tackled him down with a staff she was holding.

Sether fell to the ground, and kept tumbling over until he stopped on his stomach.

He tried to get up, his silver hair fell around his face in thick locks, blocking the view.

"I'm… Not… Sephiroth…" He managed to whisper between gasps.

He didn't need to look to know the situation.

People… All around him… circling closer and closer… Blocking all escape, blocking air… Light…

The blows were soon to come.

At first only a few dared touch the monster, but as the monster did not strike back, more felt confident to take a shot.

Sether was helpless. All he could do was cuddle into a tight ball, protecting his head with his hands and taking the blows with pained grunts.

Sometimes he would yell a choked sound.

And the blows continued coming.

They were everywhere… Even without looking, he felt them… Closing around him… No light… No air…

He felt his skin tear at several blows. He felt the hatred on his flesh.

Above him he could sense another presence…

Sephiroth.

He heard him, although no one else did.

He was crying for them to stop. If they had a bone to pick, let them come to him!

Sether could… He could… 

No! Never again…

But…!

"STOOOP!!!"

The screech was high pitched and lungful. The crowed, though, was enjoying it too much to stop.

Suddenly, the blows were only heard as thuds, but no pain came from them.

Confused and dazed, Sether cautiously opened his eyes and parted his arms a crack from around his head.

There were no people, no street, only light. No, it wasn't light… It was a great big mass of… _Blond hair_?

"That hurt, you %^#!%^!!!" Katai, who took the last few hits instead of Sether, placed her hands gently around Sether as she cursed the mob.

"**You &^@$ monsters**!!" She yelled, her face flushed red.

Katai? What are you doing here? It's dangerous, you moron! Leave me and run- if they learn that you're connected to me, they might beat you too!!

That's what Sether intended to say, what came out of his mouth was slightly different:

"Ugh."

Katai looked at him, worry etched on her face. 

"Ugh."

Didn't you hear me? Go away!

With even more wrath than before, Katai bounced to her feet, facing the crowd with clenched fists,

"_You're a bunch of pathetic ^&$@%bastards_!! What did he ever do to you?! **WHAT**?!"

Marlene took a step forward, an expression of self-righteousness on her face,

"Move aside! We must eliminate evil!"

Katai positioned herself between Marlene and Sether,

"I see only one evil here, you ^&#*, and I'm staring right at it!" She gave Marlene a blood-chilling glare, daring her to raise her staff at Sether again.

"He has you under a spell," Marlene continued, getting angrier, "If you do not fight with us, we will kill you both!"

The crowed cheered.

Katai looked around frantically,

"What's wrong with you, people?! Are you stupid?! This isn't Sephiroth! He's name's Sether and he's the kindest soul I've ever met! You're… You all- are just a bunch of monsters, picking on him!" She pointed down at him. He was still on the floor, motionless and covering his head tightly with his arms.

"Has he _done_ anything to disturb you?! Has he? Can _anyone_ say that he has? You're a bunch of self righteous ^&$@%&*$@ in a %^$@%!!!"

Several people turned red at this. Some with embarrassment at the accusation, some because of Katai's language.

She fell to her knees beside the silver haired warrior,

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves." She said. Her voice was no longer angry, but infinitely sad, "You should go home now. Live with yourselves now and everyday. Remember what you did today for the rest of your life."

She gently placed her hands around Sether, and he shuddered at her touch, as if fearing it to be another strike.

With patient gentleness, she untangled him from his protective shell and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She helped him up.

"You want evil?" she asked without really looking at anyone. Sether's eyes were cast downward, his face shadowed by his now dirty bangs and hair.

"You want evil? Go look in the mirror. Fix yourselves before you try and fix the world."

Katai helped Sether, and the two started to leave. The people parted in their path, not knowing what else to do.

No one said a word or made a move until they were out of sight. Then they left to their respective homes in silence.

Marlene stayed fixed in her spot a while longer, staring at where the couple had gone to and narrowing her eyes.


	15. Sether: Changes

Sether: Hidden, Unseen; Changes

**Changes**

**Act 1**

The way back to the hotel was painstakingly slow.

Katai encouraged Sether on, while he acted as a zombie; letting her lead him with no signs of consciousness beside his open eyes and leg movement.

He would loose balance many times, and if not for Katai, would simply fall like a rock to the ground.

"…Seth… Try to stay up…!" she huffed. His weight was relatively crushing, because, although being very lean, he was also very muscular.

This strange slalom continued for another few blocks.

Sether's eyes were constantly cast downwards. His face showed no emotion, no recognition of his surroundings.

What frightened Katai the most right now were not the hurts or wounds he had all across his body, but those eyes of his.

Usually, when he was not on the verge of exploding or scorning her, his eyes would be infinitely sad. There was always tenderness in them, a hidden spark that tried to shine through some deep pain. They were always shining that wonderful light when he looked at her.

His eyes now were… Dead.

Katai found herself more frightened at this than from the cat-like slits of before.

He almost tripped again, and she tried her best to keep him standing,

"Come on, Seth… It's not far now…! Only a few more steps, now…"

She was saying that for the last few blocks. 

It seemed to keep him walking.

Fighting back her welling tears, she used her entire petit weight to balance him from falling away from her again.

At this point it started raining. The tiny drops were apparently all that was needed to break Sether's will to continue; He stopped.

"Ah!" 

Sether began to slowly grow heavier along with the rain, and Katai realized just how much of his own weight he was supporting until now in his battered state. Now, however, he gave up, and Katai could not even begin to support him.

He plopped to a sitting position on his knees, and moved no farther.

"Seth!" tried to pull him up to no avail, "Seth! Get… Get up! We're really close!" She kneeled beside him, and pointed, "See? The hotel's just over there…! Come on, you can do it!"

He didn't reply, didn't react, hardly even blinked. Water dripped from his dirty bangs and trickled down his chin. It washed some of the blood from his limbs.

Katai again swallowed her tears and settled in front of him. She sighed heavily, looking at him with sorrow in her blue eyes,

"… S… Sorry." She muttered finally, "…About what I said before." She seemed too distraught to be embarrassed.

No reply.

The rain chased away all the people, so Katai and Sether were relatively safe as they sat in the rain.

She gave his face a long look, then, much Sether's surprise, licked her already drenched thumb and started cleaning his cheeks. Sether was slightly startled by this.

Katai grabbed his jaw with her other hand so he wouldn't move.

"There…" She was cleaning him up in the pouring rain, "You… Ahh… You had some dirt on your face…" She blushed slightly.

He actually smiled at her. A smile that had such an innocent sweetness in it. The light in his eyes returned somewhat, filling with all that hurt again.

Unable to hold on any longer, Katai burst into a terrible crying fit. She hurled herself at Sether, hugging him as tight as she could and wailed over his shoulder.

He, obviously, did not expect this and stayed static a long moment.

"…Why…" He uttered finally. Katai suppressed herself slightly so she could hear him. "…Are you crying…?"

His voice was soft and whispered.

Katai was crying her eyes out, but was considerate enough not to yell in his ear,

"…I'm sorry…" She sobbed, "…About everything…! About the way I treated you and those people… Those…"

"…It wasn't your fault. It was mine."

Katai shook her head into his shoulder, breathing erratically,

"No… Nonononono… Those people were so cruel… How could they be so…"

Sether straightened himself slightly, suspecting the true reason behind her distress,

"You… Didn't think people could do that." It wasn't a question. She cried harder, trying to muffle her cries with his shoulder. He continued in that steady and tender tone of his,

"…It is against what you believe, isn't it…?"

Her forehead still pressed against him, she sobbed,

"_I never believed people are so cruel! I don't want things to be like this!_" She renewed her hold of him, and cried some more.

Sether could think of nothing to do, so he did nothing but let her take out her anguish on his poor shoulder.

It wasn't like it was dry before.

"Why did you come…?" He asked in a weak voice after she seemed to calm down. Katai repressed her distress, not knowing what he meant. He continued,

"I… Could have killed you at the hotel, you should know. I can kill you at any given moment… I'm… I…" The pain in his voice was so strong; Katai felt it reaching all the way to her. She forced her voice to calm as she replied,

"…But you didn't."

He gave her a surprised look.

"You didn't. I'm sure you could- I believe you- but you didn't, so I'm sure that at any given moment you won't."

She couldn't repress some more sobs. Sether felt sorry for her; living her life in pacifism, only to have it all tore away by some stupid people.

…Because of him.

Funny, huh? He ran away from the hotel to save her physically, only to cause the death of what she believed people were like. He had to help somehow…

"People aren't always like that. Not all the time and not all of them, only when they are afraid. Humans lash out at what they fear, driving it away or killing it. That is their way to fight for what they hold dear; their lives."

She hesitantly glanced up at Sether, finding him looking right back at her at zero distance. His eyes were serious and calm. He continued softly,

"Most people are weak as individuals, that's why they seek communities and relationships. When something frightening strikes, the only way a physically or mentally weak people can cope with that is to form a group… an army… and so they find strength in numbers and can preserve themselves."

She drew away.

"I'm… Sorry…" She started to wipe her tears away, breathing between upset hiccups.

He smiled at her,

"Are you okay now?"

She half laughed- half sobbed, feeling quite embarrassed with her latest scene,

"…Ya…" She then looked him over, "You're asking me? I should be asking you!!"

His smile remained as he said,

"I guess I deserved it."

Katai got up to her shaky legs,

"Don't say dreadful things like that! They were pretty close to killing you! Lets get you to the hotel- I got to take care of those wounds of yours before they finish the job…"

"You'll have to help me up." He said in a dejected tone, smile fading, "I… Don't think I can… by myself."

He accepted the hand she offered him to help him up.

Forgetting that he was twice her weight; instead of Katai helping Sether up, she fell right onto him.

Muttering something about not slapping already beaten-up people and blushing to her ears, she got up from his lap, ignored his lopsided, if somewhat pained, grin, and they tried again.

They managed to get him to his feet eventually.

Act 2 

Sephiroth watched them go by with sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said with a voice full of pain, though he knew Sether was too far to hear.

He sighed heavily. He was dead, and so could not help his little brother when he needed him the most. He couldn't even protect his little brother when the later was beaten because of him.

He looked up to the sky, and saw lightning and heard thunder. The current wash was only a prologue for the storm to come.

It would start any moment now.

"The time is now." He said, but was so depressed; he found little comfort in the phrase.

When the storm started at full might, Sether and Katai were only a few steps from the hotel.

Katai gave a start and then produced her Store materia, Sether's arm still around her shoulders. From it she took out Sether's trenchcoat and hat. She gave them to him, but he didn't seem to have enough strength to do something about it.

She draped the coat around his shoulders carefully, and tried to place his hat on him as well, but he shook his head.

She plopped it on her own head instead, only to discover that it's dreadfully big on her- she had to pull it back a mile to actually see something. A look at Sether revealed that he was vaguely amused by this.

Katai also noticed with some wonder that although it was raining very hard now, very few drops reached them. 

Sether, with what little strength he had remaining in him, raised his throbbing head to see Sephiroth beside them, holding that revolver with a blade above Sether and Katai's head as an umbrella. Sether gave his older, deceased brother a smile before passing out on the doorstep of the inn.

Sether woke up in their inn's room, in the bed. He was just laying on the sheets, his legs sticking over the end of the bed and the pillow a short distance yet above his head.

"Now you wake up?" Katai's voice was surprisingly lacking its usual sting. Her previous tears and current concern were obvious in it even to the groggy and-mostly-out-of-it Sether.

"…?" He struggled to get his two eyes to open at the same time. He then noticed that Katai was taking off his shoes. He concluded that she had dragged him all the way here, and only now dropped him on the bed.

"Couldn't wake up a little sooner, huh?" She sighed with much sadness even if her tone tried to be light, "Good thing no-one was at the reception…"

Even though he tried, he could not move a muscle. Not a limb agreed to cooperate with his brain. He gave up after two tries to lift his arm and just stared at the ceiling. 

"Why are you still here…?" He breathed out, his head was pounding and his whole body throbbed with immense pain. 

"You think I'll leave you alone in a time like this, you baka?! What kind of woman do you think I am?"

"Stubborn." He smiled his crooked smile. She actually smiled at this and managed to peel off his right shoe.

She looked at his left one, scratching the back of her head,

"How do you manage to tie these things? They're so heavy… Almost military like…"

Sether inhaled and exhaled heavily, trying his best to stay conscious,

"…They were Sephiroth's." Katai stared at him a moment with amazement before shaking her head and starting on the left shoe.

"You're half dead, you know." She shook her head and pushed her wet hair from her face, "Slashes and bruises all over your body, possibility for internal bleedings, your left arm is fractured, I think. Blood loss…" She sighed again, "The only place that's not hurt is your face." Here her worried smile widened, "But it's hard to tell if it was hit and your general ugliness just hides it or not…"

The left shoe came off without stirring his leg too much. She didn't want to aggravate his situation.

Poor thing.

He was silent a long moment. Just blinking at the ceiling and trying to breath properly.

Katai came by his side with a deeply troubled expression,

"How are you feeling?" She pressed her backhand to his cheek lightly, then his forehead, "Where does it hurt the most…?" Her voice was soft.

Sether opened his mouth, but it took a few moments until voice actually came out,

"…My head." If he could have moved at all, he would be in a miserable ball on the floor, whimpering with pain and clutching his head. Fortunately for him, his near lethal injuries prevented him from making a fool of himself. He chuckled with the thought and passed out again.

Act 3 

Sether was surprised to see that he wasn't in that place with no place in it again. Instead, he was inside his Mother's waterfall. Actually, it wasn't really her waterfall; she never bought the property, but everyone who knew about the place considered it 'Lucrecia's waterfall' and stayed away.

It was different than he remembered it… Emptier, sadder.

The mental him looked around, trying to understand why his dreams would take him there. Then he spotted Sephiroth.

Sephiroth was wearing the gear people learned to associate with him; the black leather one, only he was wearing Sether's trenchcoat.

"I thought Jenova wanted to kick me around too," Sether tilted his head, feigning disappointment, "Everyone seems to want to do that, lately." He shrugged, "Not that I blame them."

Sephiroth shook his head. His eyes were sad, and without their usual insane glint,

"Jenova's missing." Sether gave him a surprised look. Sephiroth continued, "When you rejected her, she had to look for a new host. When dad killed her physical form, she had to find new hosts all the time. People who had Jenova cells in them."

"So where is she now?" Sether was slightly worried, "Who is her host now?"

Sephiroth shrugged,

"I have nooo idea. But that's not why I called you here."

"Then why did you?"

Sephiroth raised his arms, indicating the cave around them, "This is where you and I were conceived, did you know?"

Sether smiled his lopsided grin, "Yes. This is our parents' favorite place in the world. They wanted to live here after they met again." Sether continued in a musing tone, looking around, "But they wanted me to grow up around people…" There was some resentment in his voice, "I don't like people any better now. And I don't think they like me any better either."

Sephiroth smiled, "You… Should let Katai help you, you know."

Sether raised his brows with slight surprise,

"There is no reason for me to take her along. Neither do I want her help, nor do I want her to get killed on my account."

Sephiroth laughed. For every normal human who heard it when he lived, there was only evilness in that laugh, but Sether knew to detect the undertones. He knew Sephiroth just laughed like that, it wasn't that he was really evil.

Not anymore, anyway.

"What's so funny?" He crossed his hands over his chest, and tapped his foot.

"Nothing… Nothing…" The dead demi-god wiped his tears of laughter from his eyes, "Everybody knows you're in love with her, except her." At Sether's shocked expression, Sephiroth's smile widened, "Maybe you don't know it yet, either."

Sether's face turned bright red,

"Just because a woman and a man travel together doesn't mean that they're in any romantic relationship! I can't… I mean, I'm not… We're not…She isn't…!"

This just caused Sephiroth to start laughing again.

"Just let her help you, okay? She _can_ help, no matter what you think. And do you think she, the daughter of Cid Highwind, would really care for a few near death experiences?"

Sether was still pretty flustered when he replied,

"It's the 'death' part that bothers me…" Then he grew sadder, "I don't want… Any more blood on my hands…"

Sephiroth was silent a few moments after that, looking at his younger brother with compassionate eyes. Then he thought of changing the subject,

"Is it really comfortable for you to wear my trenchcoat without the cross on the chest or the shoulder shields? I find it annoying."

Sether looked up from his brooding, giving Sephiroth his lopsided grin again,

"You go around naked, what do _you_ care what I do with your clothes? Besides, you know that those are the only ones who fit me properly."

Here Sephiroth fidgeted uncomfortably in his spot,

"I know this is probably a bad time to be saying this…"

Sether narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. What now?

"…But…?"

"But I found a way for me to be released."

Sether gave him a surprised look, "Really?"

His older brother nodded happily,

"Yes…! This really nice person suggested it- Man, did she have a body…!" Sephiroth's face got a far off, dreamy look, "She was just my type, you know? Long silver hair, cool make up, a knack for poetry…"

Sether blinked at his brother several times, not really knowing what to say.

"But then I discovered _she_ was actually a _he_ with tail and more complexes than me when I was alive!"

Sether rubbed his temples to sooth his nerves, even though his nerves were with his body, and his body wasn't really here.

"…How can you find peace, boukei…?" Sether's voice was tired.

His 'boukei' snapped out of his dreamy nostalgia of other dimensions' females and smiled widely at the younger man in front of him,

"Remember how Aeris activated the White materia?"

Sether nodded,

"A spirit wanting to use the White materia had to reach the planet and ask it."

Here Sephiroth nodded,

"So that's what has to happen with me."

"Does Aeris have to die again?"

"No…! Someone that knows what I did, but doesn't hate me for it even the least must reach Aeris, who is the representative of the planet's will, and ask her nicely to release me."

Sether scratched his chin thoughtfully,

"I'm not sure I know anyone who both knows what you did and doesn't resent you a little bit… Do you?"

Sephiroth grew sad,

"No… I was hoping you would know someone…"

Sether saw how sad it made Sephiroth and said,

"Don't worry!" He tried to put as much confidence as he could into the sentence, "I'm sure I'll come up with someone! I'm sure there's someone out there who doesn't hate you!"

Sephiroth was smiling again, and prepared to leave,

"Remember what I said, eh, Otouto? You should trust her more and be nicer to her- you'd be surprised to see that she'll be nicer too."

Sether scoffed, his cheeks getting that red shade again,

"I doubt she'll ever be vaguely civil…" He then remembered her gentle voice… Her caring hand on his cheek… "…But I'll try to be nicer to her… For you."

He looked up to see Sephiroth smiling approvingly. The last thought he had before everything turned black and he woke up was; 'Man, these are the worst three days I had in my life, and I have a feeling it's just starting.'

He would probably start crying if he knew just how right he was.


	16. Sether: Truths

Sether: Hidden, Unseen; Truths

Truths Act 1 

Sether immediately regretted waking up. The pain was immense, and sleep offered less torture. Still, he could _never_ sleep when someone was staring at him, and Katai was doing just that.

"…I really cannot sleep while you are staring at me like that." He said.

Katai, who was seated by the bed with a book on her lap, drew back with a scoff,

"I see you're feeling better." She got up and approached the small table on which her medical and scientific gear rested, "You're healing rate is exceptionally fast. But that's also… what's killing you."

He looked around him. Either he had slept for 24 hours, or just a couple of hours, since it was still dark outside and raining. He noticed with some wonderment that Katai had blood on her shirt,

"Are you okay? You look dreadful." He managed to raise his head just barely, wanting to take a better look at her. He was right; not only was her shirt spotted with blood, but also her hair was dreadfully disheveled and tied in a tight ponytail with many strands hanging out at awkward angels. He noted she had black circles under her eyes.

"You don't look so hot yourself." She retorted, but was too tired to sound it with enthusiasm.

Sether let his head drop back to the pillow. Now he was wondering how he got all bandaged up and tucked in like that. 

Katai did all this…? Got her shirt smeared… With his blood? Didn't she freak out? She hated blood more than she hated him…

A glance at the clock showed it was 4 in the morning. Sether figured Katai must have stayed awake all this time…

But before anything, there was one thing he needed to know,

"What's wrong with me?" He finally asked, his voice hard and cold. Obviously, the question was on his mind from the first moment she had told him he was dying.

Katai sighed heavily, she took a few deep breaths, organizing the information in her head before starting,

"It's a known effect when one researches Jenova cells. I read about it from Lucrecia's researches."

Sether listened intensely. Katai continued, not looking at Sether and her voice trembling ever so slightly,

"When Jenova cells are exposed to a large, but discontinued amount of Mako (which they need to sustain themselves), they will react in the following fashion: They will drink as much Mako as they can without bursting (through osmosis or ATP). When they run out of Mako…" She paused and looked to the floor, "…They die."

She looked at Sether to see how he would react. His face was calm,

"Now explain in a language I will understand." He concluded.

Katai's shoulders drooped,

"Baka…!" She then came and sat on the bed, her back to him. She started to elaborate,

"I don't know why, but the Jenova cells inside you are decomposing and dying. People don't have means of injecting themselves with Mako nowadays, so I really don't understand how this happened to you…"

He turned his head to watch her back, his expression neutral.

"What happens is this; you somehow had a large dose of Mako in you. But your body isn't producing Mako, because you were never properly injected with Jenova cells, but was born with them. When you were born, because Jenova is dead, your cells were… 'inactive'."

Sether frowned,

"Could drinking Mako cause this?"

Katai turned abruptly, astonishment etched on her wan face,

"You _drank_ **Mako**??!!" She stared at him with wide eyes.

"Well…" He shrugged and then winced with the pain it brought, "Not on purpose… I kind of fell into the Mako pit…"

She was still staring at him, so he elaborated,

"My father and myself fell into the Mako pit by accident when we fought the Sephiroth clan. My father was out cold, so I tried to push him up. I didn't know people sink in Mako. I ended staying under longer than I had air..."

"You drank Mako…" She uttered in amazement, surprising Sether with her musing tone of voice, "I heard it was theoretically possible for people who had high magic attributes or a hefty amount of Jenova cells in them to drink Mako and not suffer from Mako poisoning. That would explain the sudden raise in Mako concentration in your blood stream." Her eyes got a distanced look in them as she internally calculated things and made biological equations with her lips.

"So now my… Jenova cells don't have anything to eat and are dying? Is that it?"

Katai snapped out of her brooding and nodded her head,

"That would be it. I would assume that you aren't totally made of Jenova cells, because you have some of your father's genes too- and normal cells, even abnormal cells such as your father would have don't encourage the creation of Jenova cells in the fetus. So I would say that you got them from what remained in your mother's body after the whole Jenova Project thing, and since your mother was not treated with Mako and fresh Jenova cells while you were growing inside her, your Jenova cells are present and were working as best they can without Mako. That would explain enhanced abilities such as better physical prowess, higher magic affinity and higher IQ."

Sether frowned deeper, but did not interrupt.

"It's a safe assumption that the places in which you have the most Jenova cells in are your stomach and chest, that would explain the headaches…"

"Huh?" Was Sether's intelligible reply, "That does _not_ make a lot of sense to me." In fact, he didn't really understand most of what she was saying, but he got the general idea, which he deemed enough for the time being. He was having a hectic time dealing with all the news as it were.

Katai didn't seem to mind explaining, in fact, she seemed to enjoy it,

"If the Jenova cells were in your brain directly, we would have seen some brain damage due to the decomposition, and besides- the brain doesn't have the neural network for pain- you can't have a brain-ach. Only the skull and skin around it have.

Now, it would be more logical to assume that there are some problems with your chest- before every attack you seem to have trouble breathing- this might cause a shortage of blood or oxygen to your brain, which in turn could lead to your fainting."

"I don't faint, I pass out." He mumbled in a petty tone. Katai was too deep in calculations to pay attention,

"Anyway, luckily for you, it's possible that most of your Jenova cells are in your pigments, hence the 'Sephiroth-esqu' look."

Sether sighed; all this techno-babble was hard for his battered brain,

"…Why am I lucky, then?"

"Because then it could mean that you can survive longer- those kind of cells shouldn't have been 'awakened' by the Mako. If they were in your heart, for example, you would have had a really strong heart for about four seconds before you would have died of heart failure."

"Sounds fun." His tone was getting more cynical and tired by the moment.

"The awakened cells in you are what make you now more powerful, your healing faster and probably enhance your magic attribute a ten fold."

"Is that good?"

Katai rambled on, absorbed in her biological theories,

"Some of the 'awakened' cells can go on without Mako, and they just 'sleep' again, but I would think that a good deal of them would die. A normal body can, most of the times, regenerate and fill the gaps with normal cell mitosis, but the rate of the decomposition is faster than your body's regenerative capabilities."

Sether wet his lips with a nervous clear of his throat,

"…How long to I have…?"

Katai inhaled deeply, the flow of words stopping in the favor of some squirming. She looked at her hands in her lap,

"Around two weeks, more or less."

Silence.

Two weeks to find someone who doesn't hate Sephiroth…? That's a challenge…

"Of course," Katai opened, "You have two week if you keep yourself well."

"What does that mean?"

"If you get injured or strain your body, the Jenova cells in you would work harder to fix the problem and to provide you with more strength. That would cause them to want more 'food'- more Mako- and you don't have that."

"So technically, getting beaten up might kill me. That's new. I would never have thought that getting beaten up might be bad for my health…"

Katai got up with exasperation,

"You're impossible!" She scoffed.

He smiled faintly, then grew serious again and asked,

"Isn't there anything to be done?"

Katai opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to phrase herself the best.

Sether understood all too well.

No.

He was silent a long moment. He didn't want to die. Nobody wants to die. He… Had dreams and stuff…

But… Did he deserve to live?

His parents would hit him on the head if he said that in front of them, but the doubt was always there… Did a killer deserve to live? Katai should be told … If she was Ryuto's girlfriend, She… He should…

"If we're talking about serious things; I would like to take the opportunity and ask you about… Ryuto."

She turned around to look at him with surprise,

"Why do you want to know about him? He's dead."

"I know he's dead." Sether said in an icy tone, "I want to know about you two."

Katai sat on the floor near the bed, leaning her head on the mattress and looking solemnly at Sether,

"He was my boyfriend three years ago. His parents used to travel around the world a lot on vacations, so I met him when he visited Rocket City. It was about five years ago."

Sether's eyes were fixed on her with a frown. Otherwise, though, his expression told nothing.

"I was pretty sad when he died. I mean, we were together for two years- nothing… _too_ close," She added with a slight blush, "I was still rather young at the time- I was two years younger than him." She paused to think, "Didn't really have any relationships since, and it's been three years now since he died…"

"…Do you still miss him… and… love him?" His voice revealed no emotion, and Katai gave him an odd look,

"I don't know… Sure I miss him, we were good friends, but if I still love him?" She then scoffed and gave Sether a stuck up look, "I guess that's my business." She then rested her head on her hands beside Sether and tilted her head just so,

"Now that I think of it, he _was_ Wutian- did you know him?"

Sether looked at the ceiling, the same cold expression on his face,

"Yes. He was my best friend." Then, with the same detached tone he added, "I murdered him."

Act 3 

"W… What…?" Katai raised her head.

Sether's face still showed no emotion, but his eyes could tear a hole in the ceiling with the intensity in them,

"I killed him. Murdered him, really. It wasn't exactly self-defense." Katai was now on her feet, staring at him again,

"…You… Killed him…? W… Why? Tell me why!!!" She stumbled away from the bed.

Sether was still looking at the ceiling,

"You want to know? Well, I guess you're entitled to know… You _were_ his girlfriend."

He inhaled deeply and started to tell, all the time keeping his voice so emotionless that he sounded bored with the tale.

"Three years ago we were both studying under Kisaragi-sensei in Wutai. There were also a bunch of older kids there that made it their life's goal to pick on him and me. It rarely got physical, but they really did taunt us a lot. Together, we never were afraid of those idiots… But… I left for a couple of months." He his voice cracked ever so slightly and the pain just seeped through, "I guess I deserted him, because… When I returned… He was with them."

Katai couldn't restrain her anger any longer, and he told it as if he couldn't care less!

"So you killed him?! Is that it? Why?! _How could you_!!!"

Sether lowered his eyes from the ceiling,

"There's no excuse." His voice was calm, "People called it an accident. But it wasn't. I didn't mean to kill him…" His eyes became even sadder, "Like _that_ changes the fact that I did…"

His eyes darted up when he noticed Sephiroth in the room. The dead man then reached up a finger and poked Katai's forehead once.

She fell to her knees instantly, her expression swiftly changing from rage and shock to a wide-eyed-staring-at-nothing- one.

"What have you done to her?!" Sether kicked the sheets off him and tried to roll off the bed, only to discover his legs were still too weak. He glared at Sephiroth from the floor.

"Ma, ma," Sephiroth waved his hands in a calming way and said, "I'm just showing her the truth, Otouto."

"What truth?!" He tried to get up again, grabbing the bed and a nearby bedside mantel, "I told her! I told her why he died!" As pain tore through his body, he fell to the floor with a frustrated grunt, tears choking him.

He was upset because he couldn't help her. He couldn't even help himself. There was no other truth. He told her the truth! He had no reason to lie! Ryuto was dead and he killed him!

Dammit.

Sephiroth was now beside him, looking down at him with another compassionate expression,

"Now, now, Otouto! You should rest while I talk to her!" He then poked Sether's forehead as well, and before he could utter a word of protest, Sether's head hit the floor, asleep.


	17. Sether: Ryuto

Sether: Hidden, Unseen; Ryuto

**Ryuto**

****

**Act 1**

Katai was in a place with no place in it: No roof, no floor. She looked around her before spotting Sephiroth a short distance in front of her. She screamed at the sight of him.

"Aaa…" Was his reaction. He placed a hand gingerly beside his ear, "I wonder how loud you would have screamed if I showed up naked…" He then grew serious, "What Sether told you is not right."

Katai stopped screaming by now. She remembered that Sether said Sephiroth was 'harmless'.

'Sephiroth' and 'Harmless' in one sentence… 

However, right now Katai wasn't even so sure about Sether himself.

"What are you talking about? He killed him? Did he kill Ryuto??" Her voice was panicked.

Sephiroth looked down and said,

"Yes."

Katai waved her hands in anger,

"So what's wrong about the story?!? I… I trusted him…!" Sobs started again, "I trusted him…! I protected him and trusted him! How could he… He said he could have killed me…? Now I know why he said it! He's heartless!"

The slap resonated louder than thunder. Sephiroth's expression was lethal; Katai's expression was shock. The silence after it was as absolute as the darkness around them.

"Don't talk like that about my little brother." His voice dripped icy danger.

Katai covered her cheek with her hand, looking at Sephiroth with slight fear and surprise.

"At first you disliked him," He said in the same tone, "But you learned to get along with him. When you learned he was my brother you feared him. Yet you learned that he was nothing like me and you trusted him." He glared at her with his green eyes, "By now you should have learned something about him that will make you realize he's _not_ the worthless monster he thinks he is."

She lowered her hand and stared at Sephiroth,

"…He thinks…?"

Sephiroth shook his head in dismay,

"You have to learn to control your emotions, as he should to learn to show his. You said it yourself…" With a wave of his hand an apparition appeared of Katai in front of the mob, shouting,

_'…and he's the kindest soul I've ever met!'_

Katai looked down, not knowing what to say. With another movement of Sephiroth's hand, the image disappeared. He looked aside with a deep frown,

"Yes, he did kill your boyfriend, Ryuto, but _it was an accident_."

Katai looked at her mental feet,

"…He said it really wasn't…"

"Of course he'll say that!!" Sephiroth snapped at Katai, alarming her, "Of _course_ he'll blame _himself_!! He's a holydamn _Valentine_! That's what we _do_ when we make a mistake! We blame ourselves- _torture_ ourselves!!" Katai drew back a step at his outburst, and he continued, drilling into her blue eyes with his glowing ones, "We lock ourselves in coffins, we try to take over the world and we live everyday of our lives since our mistake in hellish anguish, telling ourselves what _monsters_ we are, that's how we handle things! **_It's bloody genetic_**!!! That's the Valentine way and Sether's no exception!!!"

He looked aside again, trying to calm his protective anger.

He waved his hand again, still not looking at Katai,

"I guess the beginning would be a good place to start…"

Act 2 

Sound came before sight, and Katai could at first only hear laughing. Children laughing. When the sight came, it was all blinding light. After some blinking Katai saw that she was in the snow. There was a small frozen lake a few steps away and many children skating on it.

A familiar laugh caused Katai's heart to twitch and she swirled around. There he was, laughing and alive…

…Ryuto.

He couldn't really be called handsome. He was pleasant to look at, yes, but not more. His face was very Wutain, rimmed by his short black hair. His eyes were closed with laughter right now, but their color was dark, deep brown.

That's what Katai loved the most about him… Those beautiful brown eyes he had.

Her own eyes then reverted slowly, almost fearfully, to the figure beside her former boyfriend.

The other guy was taller, he had broader shoulder and generally a stronger built. He was very lean.

He wore a wolly cap that held all of his hair hidden in it except two bouncy bangs. One of those bangs was black while the other was silver.

That was the only thing that made Katai recognize Sether. At the moment he was chuckling, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

They were both around her age… Just before their twenties.

"This is not really how it all started, but I don't intend to show Sether's whole life to you. This happened three years ago. He's mad at me as it is that I'm showing you this." Sephiroth stepped beside Katai, gesturing at the snowy park around them. Perhaps needless to say that they didn't feel the freezing breeze, and did not leave any footprints in the snow around them. It was an apparition.

Katai hesitated before asking,

"He doesn't want me to see his past?"

Sephiroth smiled,

"He's afraid."

"A… Afraid of what?"

"Up until now you saw mostly what Sether wanted you to see of himself. He's afraid that you might not like what's beneath his mask. He's afraid of rejection." He smiled wider, "Aren't we all? He wants you to see this, but he's afraid that you'll judge him…"

Katai suddenly frowned,

"How do I know that you show me the truth?"

Sephiroth shrugged,

"It's true that I was known to be quite manipulative when I was alive. But… See for yourself," He pointed at the laughing boys, "See for yourself that it's all true."

The young boys stopped laughing, opening their eyes. Katai gasped softly.

Sether looked like an entirely different person. He looked so totally happy. Totally at peace and held himself with confidence. 

"Sa! Choduyo, Seth-kun!" Ryuto shouted, starting to run towards the lake with twinkling eyes. 

Katai, as mentioned before, knew only two words of Wutain, but she somehow understood every word. The Wutain sounding as clear as if she was born in Wutai.

"C'mon! Let's start, Seth-kun!" Ryuto ran beside Katai, and she, without thinking, reached out to his passing form.

She gasped aloud when he just went through her arm.

Seth-kun joined his friend and they both sat on the brim of the lake, wearing their skating shoes.

Seth-kun finished wearing his first and got up, sliding in front of Ryuto,

"C'mon, C'mon! I haven't skated all year! By the time you're finished wearing them the ice will melt!" He grinned and offered Ryu his hand to get up.

Ryu stuck his tongue out,

"If you tie your shoe too loose you can get hurt!" He took Seth-kun's hand and got up.

Yup, that was Ryuto, always worrying about the tiniest things. Always trying to do things slowly but carefully, even trivial things like washing the dishes or wearing a shirt.

"Race ya to the middle!" Seth-kun shouted, already half way towards accelerating.

"Hey!" Ryuto laughed and started after his red-eyed friend.

Katai was speechless. Sether… Using slang? Having careless fun? His eyes were so totally happier. They even seemed bigger, more innocent.

Katai started running after them, continuing to run on the ice as if it were normal ground.

Once he gained enough speed, Seth-kun turned around, though he still sped towards the middle of the lake. He stuck his tongue at Ryuto, pulling down the bottom of his eye in mockery,

"Is that the fastest you can go, Ryu-chan? Eh? Eh?"

Ryu-chan laughed and increased his speed,

"You, Seth-kun, are cruisin' for a bruisin'!" He then playfully attacked Seth-kun, causing him to shout out in surprise and fall. He was chucking as he grabbed Ryuto's hands and made him fall too. The two continued sliding on their backs until they lost momentum.

Seth-kun stopped beside a pair of legs.

"Oh! Hello there, Sakura-chan!" Sether smiled at her from the ice. She yelped, for she did not notice him there.

He got up and helped Ryuto up as well.

"Big brother!" Sakura skated gracefully to Ryuto, "Those guys were teasing me!" She pointed at a bunch of older guys, who at the same time were looking at their direction and laughing among themselves as thugs do.

Sether frowned at them while making sure that Ryuto was stable on his blades. Ryuto patted his little sister on the head.

Sakura was significantly shorter than her brother, but did not seem younger by much. Katai remembered her from the times she visited Ryuto at Wutai. She also remembered her from the funeral. She was such a nice girl.

"Don't mind them, little sister, just skate someplace far from them- don't even bother messing with them- they're just a bunch of morons from our school."

Sakura nodded her head, her red locks bouncing around her round face. She then turned around and started skating away, humming to herself.

Seth-kun and Ryu-chan watched her go with brotherly love. They then proceeded to try and shove each other from their feet, laughing (or chuckling) with happiness and skating with carefree joy.

Katai watched them with astonishment. That was Sether?

"That's not the Sether you know." Sephiroth spoke her thoughts, appearing by her side again, watching the pair with sad eyes, "That's Seth-kun. He'll die in about two months, and the Sether that you know will be born."

"Why are you showing this to me?" Katai's voice was weak. All that Sephiroth did was point. She followed his extended finger and saw Sakura. The young girl was skating happily on the other side of the small pond when the ice broke beneath her feet and she screamed as ice water swallowed her.

Seth-kun and Ryu-chan were there in seconds.

Ryu-chan spread himself on the ice near the hole, trying to reach her. She was hysterical, and splashed around while screaming. Ryuto called her name, but she was too panicked to even hear him.

Understanding that there was no other choice, Sether jumped into the ice water.

Katai yelped as water splashed towards her, but it, too, just went through her.

Ryu-chan cried out to Seth-kun at his impetuous action, but could not think of anyway to help. Sether's woolly hat fell somewhere in his heroic jump, and his hair floated around him.

Katai noticed that it was much shorter than it's current length.

Seth-kun seemed totally oblivious to the fact that it was ice water he was swimming in, and he quickly wrapped one hand around Sakura, trying to get back up to the ice with other.

The ice kept breaking each time he reached to it, so Seth-kun was forced to swim all the way to shore and break the ice in his path. He did his best to keep Sakura safe.

Once they reached the shore, Sakura and Ryuto's parents quickly took her away, fearing that she would have hypothermia.

Seth-kun tried to catch his breath on the shore, snow sticking to his wet limbs and hair. People came by him, offering him a blanket, but he refused with a smile, getting up to his feet and brushing snow from himself with as if nothing happened.

"It'll take an army to keep me down," He assured them with a big smile, "I'm fine! A little water won't melt me!" He chuckled kindly at their worried looks.

"I'm fine!"

  


Black.

Katai blinked several times just to make sure her eyes were really open. The flashback ended.

She was about to ask Sephiroth something when he said,

"Two days later Seth-kun collapsed at school during a regular warming up run. He coughed a lot and had a very high fever."

"Pneumonia…?" Katai breathed out, still thinking about the young Seth-kun she had seen.

Sephiroth nodded,

"It took him two months of our parents' intensive care to get better." He paused, looking towards the darkness with infinite sorrow,

"It was on the first day of his return that it happened."

  


Act 3 

"Oy! Seth-kun! How do you feel?" Some of his acquaintances shouted to him as he walked up the dirt road that led to the school. He was wearing clothes that were big on him and a dark cap, in which he stuck his hair. He let only his bangs out.

Seth-kun pointed at his nose and said with a smile,

"I'm feeling better, but I still have a stuffy nose!"

They smiled at him,

"Yuffie-sensai said the Masamune was getting full of dust! She kept it in the storage room, in case you'll look for it."

He thanked them and started towards the center field in front of the school where all the kids hung out.

"…Masamune…?" Katai asked softly, looking at Sephiroth by her side. He nodded, freezing the world while he spoke,

"Each generation of Valentines has one person who can summon the Masamune. Sether is now the wielder or the Masamune. I can still do it but… Well, it's a bug."

The world continued to move, and Seth-kun reached the rocky field. He looked around for Ryuto, but could not find him anywhere. The whole school was out there that morning until class began because it was a pleasantly warm morning.

"Oh-ho, look what we've got here! Se_ph-_kun is back!"

Seth-kun froze with annoyance. Without turning around he said in a casual tone,

"It's Seth, and yes, I'm back. Got a problem with that, Mikado?" He turned around and froze. His usually happy face contorting in shock.

Ryuto was among them, and he wasn't resisting.

"Hey, let Ryuto go! Don't pick on him!" He waved his fist in front of Mikado's face. Even though Sether was younger, he was approximately the same height as the older kid, "Pick on someone your own size, pig!"

Their leader, Mikado, burst out with laughter at Seth-kun's reaction,

"Ryu-chan likes it with us. He joined us because he was sick of hanging around with a freak like you," Here Mikado shoved Seth-kun's shoulders and added with venom, "No one wants to hang out with a third rate Sephiroth clone!"

Seth-kun stumbled back. One of his legs shot back to stop his skid, and he remained like that a short moment, breathing through teeth clenched with anger.

"That's a lie!" He raised his head to stare with flaming red eyes at Mikado, "Let Ryuto go! He's not a jerk like you guys!"

"Shut up!" Ryuto suddenly yelled, stepping past Mikado and in front of Seth-kun, "Shut up! Stop protecting me all the time!"

Sether blinked in shock,

"But…"

"Stop it! I don't need you to protect me all the time like I was a girl!" He was shouting as hard as he could, drawing attention from the kids in the grounds.

"I was… Just trying to-"

"You were just trying to help, I know! Holydamnit, Sether- I can't stand you!!!"

Sether took a step back just from surprise, "Ryu-chan…" he uttered, shaking his head. Ryuto continued,

"Stop thinking I'm perfect! I'm not like _you_!!! I'm not strong like you- I'm just _normal_! I **hate** you! I hate _freaks_ like you!!"

Seth-kun was still staring at Ryu-chan as the later turned and joined the Mikado gang. His head was hung low, but his strides were resolute.

Mikado laughed his mean laugh again.

"He's clastrophobic." Ryuto said, his voice now low and with a hint of mischief in it.

Seth-kun's eyes grew wider with terror. Ryuto continued,

"Gather around him and he's helpless."

"…No." Katai and Seth-kun mumbled together. Sether's younger version took another frightened step back. Mikado's group did as Ryuto advised, and blocked all of Seth-kun's escape routes with their bodies. They stood shoulder to shoulder in a tight circle around him. Eight boys around one. One of them snatched Sether's hat off his head, letting his silver locks with the black stripe be seen by all.

Seth-kun looked around with wild eyes, distress griping his heart and showing on his pale face.

"He's Sephiroth's younger brother, you know." Ryuto smiled evilly, scaring Katai greatly, "He's nothing but a third rate Sephiroth clone!"

…Third rate Sephiroth clone…?

Ryuto had been telling them all of Sether's weak points, and now they were having fun pressing them, poking them.

Mikado then shoved the frightened Seth towards one of the other kids, which in turn, shoved him further. It went like that for a few moments, and a crowd formed around the commotion.

"Third rate Sephiroth clone!" They laughed, "Freak!"

…Third rate Sephiroth clone…

…Freak…

Eventually Seth-kun lost balance and fell to his knees. He closed his eyes hard, his breaths were erratic and he was slightly sweating. He could feel them around him. No air, no light.

"What? Malboro caught you tongue?" Mikado placed a cupped hand by his ear with a mocking smile, "I don't hear you saying anything!"

Seth-kun's face contorted with anger, and he leapt to his feet,

"What have you done to Ryuto, you bastards!" Before he could reach Mikado, though, four of Mikado's guys grabbed his arms, two on each arm, preventing him from moving any farther.

Again, the shocked face and the laugh from Mikado,

"Ryu-chan also told us how strong you are. We know two of us can't hold down a freak like you." Mikado then bowed his head slightly towards Ryuto, and the later stepped forward, between Seth-kun and Mikado.

"Go ahead." Mikado urged him, "Pop him one!"

Ryuto bit his lower lip, seeming to debate with himself what he should do.

He met Seth-kun gaping eyes and his own drew hard. He then punched him square in the stomach a blow that knocked the air out of Seth-kun.

It wasn't because the blow was strong that caused him to be breathless, though. For a long moment Seth-kun was just hung there, arms trapped, claustrophobia celebrating. His expression that of disbelief and betrayal.

"Ryu-chan… Why?" He mumbled, shaking his head. Ryuto said nothing and only looked away. His hand reached to his pocket and he produced a black marker.

Mikado smiled, and Ryuto said in a whisper,

"If you're a Sephiroth clone, then where's your number? _You should have a number…_"

He then grabbed Seth-kun's left palm.

"No!" Seth-kun started struggling and Ryuto uncorked the marker, "Stop! Stop it!"

He grew more hysterical as the marker got closer to his left hand, his struggling more violent. All six members of Mikado's group except Ryu-chan had to grab Seth-kun arm to counter his strength. They held it firm.

"Stop it! Ryuto, **please, stop it**!!!" Seth-kun was shouting, tugging at his arm as strong as he could, trying to break free.

They let his arm go, and he slammed behind first on the rocky ground. 

He raised his left palm and stared at it's back, where a large black **zero** was etched.

…Zero…

He started shaking, still staring at his hand in terror.

It all happened so fast. 

Between one blink and the next Seth-kun's pupils contracted and reopened, now cat-like. 

With no sound except a 'whoosh' of inconceivable speed, Sether was up on his feet, right arm extended forward and his face contorted and twisted with inhuman rage.

He then blinked, his pupils returning to normal only to contract sharply in utter horror.

He was holding the Masamune.

He was covered with blood.

The sword's blade went clean through Ryuto's chest.

Sether's lower lip started trembling and he started shaking all over.

Silence.

Katai was covering her mouth with both hands so she would not scream.

"…S…orry…" Ryuto uttered before falling.

Sether dropped the Masamune in favor of catching his friend before he hit the ground.

"Ryu! **_Ryuto_**!!!" He hugged the limp buddy close to himself, rocking back and forth.

His lips made out words, over and over and over again he mumbled them as tears streamed down his face,

"_It was an accident… It was an accident… It was an accident… It was an accident…"_

All the kids that gathered around were simply staring at the scene before them; none could find anything to say.

The world around her turned black again for a second, and when it was light again, Katai saw that she was at the pathway that led to Ryuto's house. Sether was standing at their door, his head hung low.

When he raised his head, Katai was appalled by how dreadful he looked. He had black circles beneath his eyes, his hair was disheveled and unkept. His eyes were dead. Ryuto's parents were standing at the doorway of their home, looking at Sether.

His lips moved, and Katai could not make out what he was saying. His face was a mask of dejected misery.

When his lips stopped moving Ryuto's mother slapped him as hard as she could and started crying,

"You monster!!!" She wailed, "You're insane!! You should be locked away!" Her husband came by her side to take her in, giving Sether a stare full of hate,

"Don't ever show your face here again!"

They slammed the door in his face, and he started crying again. Before the image faded, Katai caught a glimpse of Sether's parents coming to hug him.

The last scene she was seeing was Sether in his room. Although it was night, no lights were turned on. He was sitting on his windowsill with one leg dangling inside the room, the other bent and his elbow leaning on it. He was looking outside at the moon.

Katai started crying.

His eyes were the ones she knew now.

All the life and happiness that he had were gone, and he chose to cover himself in dark clouds. From his speech to his composure, he was a different person. A person dead in many ways. A shattered, pale image of his former self.

No, you couldn't even compare him to his former self. This was _Sether_, and _Seth-kun_ was someone else.

"…Why are you showing me this?" She sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

"Because you deserve to know the truth." Sephiroth appeared by her again, looking at the image-Sether with compassion, "Because you're the only one he trusts enough to help him."

She lowered her hands and suppressed her tears,

"…Trusts…?"

Sephiroth smiled,

"He showed you all this, didn't he? You're the only person to whom he ever told the whole story."

Katai shook her head, looking down,

"You showed me all this, not him."

This was Sephiroth's turn to shake his head,

"I can't steal memories. To show you all this I needed Sether's permission. He allowed me. He's not happy with it, but he agrees- that's a big thing when talking about Sether."

Katai raised her head to look at the gloomy Sether on the windowsill and bit her lower lip.

Sephiroth started fading. He smiled wider and said,

"Help him, Katai. You're the only one who can…!"  
She raised her head in surprise, but before she could utter a word, she woke up.  
Her last thought was 'Man, these are the worst three days I had in my life, and I have a feeling it's just starting.'

She would probably start crying again if she knew just how right she was.

Please tell me what you think, ok? ^_^  
Oh, by the way, if you're interested in seeing how I imagine Sether (More or less), you're invited to my site, The Ancient Capital! It's; Http://www.geocities.com/LunarBlade/


	18. Sether: Nicer

Nicer LUNARBLADE Z. VALENTINE LUNARBLADE Z. VALENTINE 1 0 2001-11-07T10:41:00Z 2001-11-07T10:41:00Z 3 1594 9089 Mega Bored Inc. 75 18 11161 9.2720 

**Nicer**

**Act 1**

She noticed that she was in the bed. She had been tucked in carefully. Katai slowly raised her head and noticed Sether on the couch, flipping channels on the Television with 'Mute' on.

She stared at his profile a long moment. He was frowning deeply.

He was older than Seth-kun, and his hair was longer. His eyes were narrowed compared to those he had in the pond of her vision.

She opened her mouth to speak, but could think of nothing to say to him.

She had no idea that his story was like this. She hadn't a clue that behind that mask of apathy was all this pain. She didn't dream that he would be so beautiful on the inside.

…Not that she thought he was beautiful, Holy forbid, but…

"I really cannot watch Television while you are staring at me like that." His tone was tired and had much sadness in it. He tuned his head to look at her, his face neutral and his eyes hurt. 

Katai opened and closed her mouth some more times, but still didn't know what to say.

"I guess… I'll have to tell you about Ryuto…" He mumbled miserably.

Katai sat up,

"You don't need to, it's okay." She shook her head. He gave her a genuinely surprised look.

"Did… Did Sephiroth show-"

"No." She lied. She didn't know why, but she just felt that Sether wouldn't like to know that she saw… "You don't need to," She repeated, "Whatever you did, I'm sure it wasn't your fault. You're not Sephiroth, right? So I guess no matter what you did, it can't be that terrible." Her words sounded awkward even to herself, and she wondered if Sether believed her or not.

He returned back to the TV and continued to switch channels. Katai got out of the bed, deep in thought and frowning. She had no idea how to take his reaction. Should she even be surprised that he reacted with apathy? It was _Sether_ she was talking about here…

"Aah…!" Sether suddenly straitened up in the couch, expression changing to alarm.

Katai was still brooding, and ignored him.

"Aah!" Sether raised the volume of the Television, but still Katai would not listen.

"Katai!" He called, pointing at the Television. 

Not really concentrating, she sat on the couch beside him and watched the flashing screen. Slowly the visions sunk in and her eyes grew increasingly wider,

"Aah!" She yelped, "That's…! That's…!"

After exchanging a worried glance, both of them looked back at the screen, raising the volume some more.

A reporter was standing and shouting from amidst much rubble, civilians, rescue teams and firefighters scuttled panicky in the background.

"…We continue our report of the destruction in Rocket City! For those of you who just tuned in, we are standing beside what remains of the Captain's house! As a third of the city was destroyed, the rescue teams are now struggling to find survivors of those who did not evacuate!"

Katai covered her mouth with her hands, eyes filling with tears at the sight of the wreckage. Sether's alarmed look was darting from Katai to the screen, not knowing if he should be more worried about the report or Katai. The reporter continued relentlessly,

"As we assured before; Emerald had been seen coming, and an all-out evacuation has taken place yesterday morning. However, the Captain and his family are missing, and the rescue team is searching for survivors or bodies as we speak…!"

"This is ridiculous…" Sether shook his head with disbelief, "Too much…" He swallowed hard, "Too much is happening too fast…!"

The screen changed to a map of the area,

"As you can see," The reporter said, "Emerald had got straight through the city's core." A red line appeared from the east and pierced the city, "Experts assume that the Weapon's intention was not destruction, but rather it is attempting to cross the continent." The diagram showed another line of Weapon's presumed course, showing the estimated course from its current location; a bit after Rocket City, through the mountains and to the other shore. They also showed the path it has already walked, coming from the sea near Gongaga, it trudged near Cosmo Canyon and toppled a peak or two near Nibelheim. The screen returned to showing the wreckage and the reporter, "We were following it as it grazed Gongaga three days ago, and therefore were able to warn the good people of Rocket Town! However, we will trust the scientists who support the cross continent theory from here on, since the rocky terrain ahead prevents our crews from moving farther! We will be awaiting him on the other side of the mountains to keep following it! Stay tuned! Now! A word from our sponsors!"

Sether pressed the Mute button and turned to see how Katai was doing.

She was crying, obviously.

"They might be okay. They probably evacuated." Sether quietly said, thinking about the kind Highwinds.

"Shut up…" She sobbed.

Her quiet sobs were the only sound as both of them sat on the couch.

Sether didn't know what to say to make her feel better. There was nothing you could say in situations like this.

"I…" Katai rose from the sofa, not looking at Sether, "I think I'll go for a walk."

Sether nodded,

"Be careful." He said in a solemn voice.

"I… I need to… Think… About things…" She took her white trenchcoat from its hanger and closed the door silently after her.

Sether sighed and realized that it was up to him to change his own bandages.

"What a week…" He sighed, starting to unwrap his gauze from around his chest.

Act 2 

Katai kicked pebbles out of her way as she sauntered through the city streets.

"What a week…" She sighed.

'_They might be okay…_'

That's right, they might still be alive! They probably evacuated to somewhere and didn't tell anyone, that's all! She had to believe that they were still alive.

It would just be too cruel if… If…

If they died, she'll have no one in the world except Sether.

'_Funny_.' She wondered, '_when did I start thinking about him this way_?'

Him.

She couldn't help but smile as she thought of him. Poor thing.

He was having a hard time too, she realized. He was dying. Dying a slow death.

He also is Sephiroth's brother, the killer of her former boyfriend and he almost killed her.

Still all Katai felt for him was just…

Ever after she knew all these terrible facts, she still just…

Seeing Ryuto again hurt. Hurt bad.

She almost forgot how much she missed him.

It was easier to think of him than it was to think of her parents, though.

As she dwelled on Ryuto, she started remembering all sorts of things he said,

'If I don't wash the dishes good, someone might get sick.'

'If you kick the ball too hard, it might hit someone.'

'Even if all you do is good deeds, it's still might be bad if the one you help feels bad about it…'

'If you're too nice, if you're too… too… kind and heroic, it might be hard on your friends.'

Katai's eyes widened as she remembered that sentence. He had said it one day after she had told him that she wouldn't mind helping him with his homework again. She was always trying her best to help him. Ryuto was always a busy boy around the house. He always had to clear dishes or do the laundry or help Sakura with one thing or another.

Her eyes widened some more as something in the back of her mind did the logic.

It was very hard for her to understand why had driven Ryuto to act so mean. Now it all made sense.

Ryuto _hated_ what Sether was.

Katai noticed that thing about Sether too, although she saw it as a positive thing:

Sether had a compulsive need to help others. It wasn't something he was aware of, probably, but he could never see someone in need and not help.

Katai tapped her chin, now looking at the cloudy sky above. The wind flapped her trenchcoat around her feet as she recalled her psychology lessons.

Sether's behavior might come from a need to prove himself to himself or to others. At some further thought, it might be to prove himself to his parents, who have suffered much from Sephiroth's evil ways. It might be something genetic, but Katai couldn't really confirm that until she would meet Mr. Valentine.

Sether would sacrifice himself before others in a heartbeat. He was the type of guy who would take a bullet for you just because he thought he deserved to suffer. Even before the whole incident.

Ryuto couldn't stand Sether being always the better man; the one to jump into ice water without thought, the one to stand up against the bullies, the faster, kinder, taller, handsomer, stronger man…

Katai, too- she had to admit- she, too, wanted to find flaws in him. Find something that made him more human. That was before… Now she knew some of his various flaws…

His mask of apathy and 'coolness' was almost always perfect…

She knew Ryuto, and she knew that he was… Well… He used to be a little weak willed… Not in a bad way, no. He just didn't like confrontations much. Not when he was alone, anyway. Ryuto always thought he was worthless, weak and dumb. Katai thought that he was just being a teenager, and having problems with self-esteem is a part of being one.

Someone like the 'mighty' Sether would be a good friend, as well as a hated proof of Ryuto's own limitations. Sether; always happy to help, always the first to be there when it gets tough, always there to 'save the day'.

She assumed that the moment Sether was out of the picture, Ryuto was easy pry to the bullies. And he probably grew more popular by hanging out with them and not with the 'freak'.

Sether, with his Sephiroth-esque look was _not_ popular, she saw. Sure, his kind nature makes it impossible not to like him, but popularity is something else entirely… And it was especially important to Ryuto, who always sought acceptance…

Her mom got so angry when she called Sether a freak… She…

Katai started sobbing again.

Suddenly feeling unbearably lonely, she turned around and started quickly towards the inn.

She felt like she would just die of loneliness where she stood, and well… She would be with someone even if it had to be Sether.

Besides… Maybe…

She should just try a little harder…

To…

Be nicer to him?

Act 3 

Sether was in pain. He had spread himself on the bed and tried to nap a little, but the pain wouldn't let him.

His whole body hurt, and he wasn't happy. The events of the last few days passing through his head without any real order.

He had a vague plan; Go around and look for someone who doesn't hate Sephiroth until he drops dead.

Good plan:

Precise.

He grunted out a pained sound when as he moved to a better position. His dad, with all respect, was beyond his reach to help. Sether had set out on this stupid thing in the first place just because he couldn't stand being at home without his father around. He _had_ to give his anger an outlet.

As the clock ticked, cutting with each second a piece from Sether's life, Sether had gotten pretty much convinced that Katai took the opportunity to run away. 

Sighing in defeat, he got up from the bed. The pain in his heart and his body was too much for him to take lying down;

He dragged himself into the shower.

One promise he made to himself, and to Sephiroth;

If from some twisted turn of fate, she return to him, he…

He would…

Try and treat her nicer…

* * *

Hey, tell me what you think, eh?  
You're welcomed to visit my site anytime and to look at some of the fanart I drew of Sether and Katai. ^_^ Thanks for reading my stuff- more is soon to come!


	19. Sether: Travel

Travel LUNARBLADE Z. VALENTINE LUNARBLADE Z. VALENTINE 1 0 2001-11-07T10:42:00Z 2001-11-07T10:42:00Z 3 1612 9194 Mega Bored Inc. 76 18 11290 9.2720 

**Travel**

**Act 1**

When Sether came out of the shower, he was feeling slightly better. His body's exceptionally fast healing rate made it possible for him to be up in a day, where otherwise, he would have been bedridden for weeks. Most of the cuts and bruises on his body were nothing more than red marks, and his fractures left arm was sore, but totally usable.

Still feeling too weak and ill all over, Sether couldn't bring himself to wrap the bandages around his chest and leg, so he simply threw a black shirt on, letting what bleeding remained seep into the dark cloth. He figured it would hurt when he'll take the shirt off, but didn't care at the moment.

Hearing a knock on the door, Sether gathered his hair in a loose ponytail. Katai, in her distress, probably forgot something. He smiled faintly at the thought of her.

With a towel around his shoulders and rubbing his hair to dry it, he went and opened the door.

His faint smile faded at the sight in front of him, and he took a step back into the room.

"H… Hello."

In the door way loomed the mayor of Corel; 

Barrett Wallace. 

His wide frame blocking all the way out of the room. He was neatly shaven, and his white hair was cut in a crew-cut. Creases of worry and old age decorated his face, giving him an even gruffer appearance that usual. 

Behind him, Marlene could be seen. She was looking at Sether with narrow eyes.

With them were two armed soldiers.

Sether gulped hard.

Without words, they entered the room. Sether stepped aside, not wanting to show any signs of resistance. Marlene stayed outside, a smug look on her face.

"Who are you?" Barrett demanded as the soldiers cornered Sether and pointed their guns at him.

Sether raised his hands in surrender, his face neutral,

"My name's Sether, Mr. Wallace, Sether Valentine."

Barrett's brows twitched,

"…Valentine?"

"I am the son of a man you once knew; Vincent Valentine."

Barrett frowned deeper, scrutinizing Sether from the corner of his eye.

"How can I know you're telling de truth, boy?"

Sether was silent. He simply looked at Barrett, hoping his red eyes will save him.

Barrett couldn't help but see the similarities, but was still skeptic,

"I can't have a damn Sephiroth walking around my city and not do a damn thing."

"I beg your pardon, sir," Sether was still looking at Barrett, even though the later was looking aside, "I am not Sephiroth. My name is Sether. I have done nothing to harm your fair city, nor do I have any intentions in the directions, I assure you."

Barrett locked stares with Sether,

"You _did_ cause damage. Quite a damn ruckus you caused."

Sether smiled his lopsided grin. A cold one.

"That is correct, however, It was not I who started it, but…" He figured accusing the big man's daughter wasn't going to gain his favor, "People who mistook me for Sephiroth."

Barrett narrowed his eyes slightly. Sether knew the mayor understood what he meant, and was not sure it was a good thing. He continued,

"I can assure you I will not let that happen again."

Barrett raised his chin, giving Sether a condescending, if somewhat troubled look,

"I can assure you the same."

He then turned around and murmured,

"Kill him."

Sether's face twitched with surprise and he gave the two soldiers in front of him a steady glare, waiting for their next move.

The two, uncertain of what they should do, exchanged a worried glance before looking back at Sether.

They fired.

Act 2 

His moves were faster than lightning as he moved. The soldiers tried to hit him as he flipped through the room. One moment he was there, but when the bullets came looking for him, they found only air.

Bullets seemed just too _slow_ to hit him. The towel he previously had around his shoulders was sprayed, but he himself could not be so easily hit.

Both soldiers cried out in surprise as they sprayed the room after the slippery demon, but could not hit him. Furniture was holed, the wall was dotted and lamps broke. Still, not the wished splash of blood. They stopped abruptly when Sether had positioned himself strategically behind Barrett. Two fingers were placed across Barrett's throat before he could even react.

"You make me move," Sether hissed, his eyes shadowed by his bangs, his tone unreadable, "and his windpipe is yesterday."

Sweat beads appeared on Barrett's forehead,

"Damn you…" He whispered, voice paralyzed with anger.

"I am truly sorry." Sether said in a cold voice, "In any other day I would have let you kill me, believe me. But I am on a mission for my family…" He looked at the two soldiers, as if daring them to move. He continued, "I will make you a deal. I will leave this town right now, and you will leave me alone. Is it acceptable?" He pressed the two fingers ever so slightly against Barrett's throat, and the big man nodded, gesturing to the soldiers to lower their guns.

Sether removed his hand slowly,

"Now get." Sether pointed to the door, "And do not forget to pay for the damage you have caused." Barrett and his men retreated and closed the door behind them.

The moment the door was closed Sether collapsed to his knees, holding his head. He moved quicker than he thought possible, even for himself. Now, though, he was paying the price.

After a short while the pain stopped, and Sether could let go of his head and unclench his teeth.

"Dammit." He hissed. Now this, too, had become another mess to his extensive list of messes he was in.

Mentally perusing the list, he remembered that Mr. Highwind was going to beat him…

A pang of mixed emotion made him bite his lower lip. What was this emotion?

He thought about it a moment.

Another moment.

Then he felt utterly silly for giving it so much thought because he had neither the time, nor the doubt.

He knew what it was.

"Dammit."

Act 3 

Sether was just getting out of the hotel when Katai came running.

She noticed he was wearing his travel gear; Black trenchcoat, black glasses and the broad rimmed hat. She noticed with some surprise that it had what looked like a bullet hole in the side. She could have sworn it wasn't there last night.

"Seth! Hey, Sether!" She caught up with him, panting, "What are you doing?"

He blinked down at her, though she could not see it from behind his glasses. She did see his brows rising in wonder, though.

"I am leaving." He said, as if it was not obvious.

Katai straitened,

"You were just going to leave me here?! You _were_ going to wait for me, weren't you?!" The question's tone suggested pain if answered wrong.

"I…" Sether fumbled. Katai never saw him fumble, and looked at him with curiosity. He looked aside as he said in a soft voice, "…I was not… really expecting you to return."

Katai frowned,

"Well, I'm here, Baka!" She then added with sadness disguised as anger, "I don't have anyplace to go."

Sether looked back at her, blinking a few more times before recalling the recent events. He had so much on his mind; he found it hard keeping track of all the chaos.

"I know of a good place in which you will be safe. I will drop you there and continue on my way. Is that okay with you?"

Katai was still frowning at him. It made him nervous when she stared at him,

"What?" He looked over himself, trying to figure if there was something wrong with the way he looked. Something wrong besides looking like someone who doesn't want people to know how he looks, and being a head taller than almost everyone, and wearing sunglasses in a cloudy, sunless day, and…

"You're talking all farsty again!" She whined, poking him accusingly in the chest and causing him to flinch. He wasn't totally healed yet. Katai continued to complain,

"It took me ages to get you to talk like a normal person!"

He rolled his eyes and started walking. She followed him,

"I leave you for an hour, and you fall all the way back! Honestly, I gotta take you to 'fartsis anonymous'!"

He gave her a what-are-you-babbling-about look, but she was too busy whining to notice.

"Took me ages!" she threw her hands in the air, "Ages I tell ya! All that fine work, down the drain! The investment of hours- gone! The fartsy times are here again! No matter how much I tried, to no avail… No one will understand how I suffered! I'll—"

Sether, looking ahead with his cold determination look, smiled his awkward grin,

"It's no problem for me to talk 'normally', you know. It just stuck to me from earlier, that's all."

She wouldn't believe how happy he was that she was there with him. To babble and clog his already clogged brain with her yammering and whining and annoyances.

"Oh."

Katai forgot how taxing it was to walk by Sether. She constantly had to skip to keep up.

"Did you pay my bill, too?" She asked with some timidity. Sether shook his head, still not looking at her,

"Barrett had kindly agreed to do that. We didn't have to pay a Gil."

"Barrett?" She seemed genuinely surprised with the news.

"Yes." Was all Sether said.

Katai smiled to herself,

"That's nice of him." Sether's smile grew wider at this, but he said nothing.

"You know," Katai started, seeming to remember something, "My dad told me Barrett really hated Mr. Valentine."

"Really?" Sether raised his brows with surprise.

"Yeah. My dad told me that because Mr. Valentine used to be a Turk, Barrett never trusted him. Even after Mr. Valentine saved his life on several occasions."

"Hatred is a strange thing." Sether mused out loud.

Katai only nodded, suddenly looking distressed.

They made their way hastily through the bustling streets. People in white, green and pink laughed through them, buying things from various stalls and booths. Many kids were playing in the small amusement park Marlene erected the evening before. Tomorrow was Holy Day.

After a while Katai hesitantly asked,

"How…" She looked down at her feet, "How do you feel?" 

He paused, looking at the green fields in front of him.

They were on the outskirts of the city by now. The inn was not far from the southwestern edge of the city. The only way in or out of the city that didn't go through the mountains. 

Corel, after all, was surrounded almost completely by cliffs that were both traitorous and monster packed.

After just a moment of contemplation, Sether started walking again, heading southwest.

"I'm fine." He lied, "How are you holding on?"

Katai nodded her head, trying to look strong and failing miserably in Sether's eyes.

They walked.

Katai noticed that she didn't have to skip or run this time. Wondering why, she looked at Sether.

She then smiled an adorable smile when she noticed Sether glancing at her from the corner of his eye, most noticeably trying to walk slower, but also trying to make it look like he was just feeling like it. His hands were stuck in his trenchcoat pockets, and his strides gave the feeling he wasn't comfortable _at all_.

She laughed, and he didn't understand why he felt so embarrassed.

"Cute!" She announced, hugging his arm.

"W… What?" He gave her a strange look and tried to look innocent, but didn't try to shake her off. She didn't answer him, only looked up at him and smiled wider.

"Really!" She said, "You can be so adorable when you're not a total jerk…!"

He pouted,

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not _cute_, I'm _intimidating_." He mumbled in a petty tone.


	20. Sether: Knowing

Knowing LUNARBLADE Z. VALENTINE LUNARBLADE Z. VALENTINE 1 0 2001-11-07T10:57:00Z 2001-11-07T10:57:00Z 7 3548 20229 Mega Bored Inc. 168 40 24842 9.2720 

**Knowing**

**Act 1**

The sun was coming and going, as if playing hide and seek behind the clouds. The air was crisp and fresh and the grass a lush green. Katai tried her best not to think of her parents, and by doing so, thought about them.

She then let go of Sether's arm, preferring, at the moment, to inhale the beautiful sights, sounds and scents around her.

"What a wonderful day!" She chirped.

Sether wouldn't look at her, he just marched ahead, his trademarked 'decisive frown' on his face. They had settled for a pace that was comfortable for both of them.

"It'll rain again at night." He said darkly.

She gave him an annoyed glare, scoffed and continued to chirp happily,

"What a wonderful, marvelous day! The skies are pretty, the land is pretty, that big monster is pretty…!"

"…"

Then Katai started screaming in fright.

Sether stopped his walking. His shoulders sank with a heavy sigh. If Katai hadn't started screaming, that mountain lion wouldn't even notice them.

Now, though, it was rushing straight towards them.

Sether sighed again, not seeming to care that the beast was heading to attack Katai.

"Sether!" Katai yelped, pointing with hysterical movements at the approaching form.

Sether still seemed to prefer sulking. He adjusted his sunglasses, and turned his back to Katai, as if saying 'your problem'.

Katai started screaming harder.

The lion was closer now. 

Sether turned his head to look at her.

Katai was running in circles, screaming and yelling.

"Sure, that'll help, you moron!"

But Katai didn't listen.

Sighing heavily, Sether gave the approaching monster a tired look.

When the lion was close enough, he took one step towards Katai, now standing directly at the monster's path, and the lion attacked. 

Katai yelped and jumped aside.

The lion's immense weight tackled Sether to the ground. As an instinct, Sether thrusted the monster off him with his legs and pounced to his feet.

He then proceeded to dust himself off and readjust his slim sunglasses.

Katai stared at him,

"That's it??!"

She then turned to look at the lion. It was motionlessly lying on the ground not far from them. A rather peaceful look on its feline face.

Sether smiled at her, producing a Materia from under his shirt,

"Sleep Materia." He said, "Works only with direct contact, you know."

Katai then turned red, and because Sether's smile was growing wider at her anger, she proceeded to reach up.

"Huh?" He followed her hands with a clueless look on his face.

She grabbed his bangs.

"This…"Sether's expression turned miserable, "…is going to hurt."

She yanked.

Katai scoffed, fluffed her hair, fixed her glasses back up the bridge of her little nose and started walking again.

Sether got up slowly, rubbing both his nose and the roots of his bangs with one hand and returning the yellow orb with the other.

He was happy she didn't wear high heels, and vaguely wondered if he had little footmarks on his black shirt and why was it considered healthy to one's back if someone walks on you.

Sighing again, he caught up with Katai. She was walking that condescending walk-thing she did that made him smile:

Her head was held high and her mouth was slightly pouting. Also, her eyes were closed and her blond brows wrinkled in a martyr's frown.

"You really thought I'd let you be eaten?" Sether smiled at her, his voice teasing.

"And _why_ wouldn't I believe _that_?" She hissed, still refusing to open her eyes and look at the silver-haired warrior.

He smiled wider, but couldn't answer. Instead he said,

"You can't see all the _new_ monsters if you walk like that."

She opened her eyes with panic, and Sether chuckled.

She smacked his arm,

"Baka!" 

Her expression then turned slightly mean as she mused out loud, "Hey, I think this is the first battle you've actually finished without getting totally creamed!" She punched his arm in a teasing 'way-to-go' way.

"Huh?" He blinked down at her, then frowned, "Hey! That's not true…!"

He thought about it a moment.

"Okay, it is true, but I can recall only one fight! It is not _my_ fault if the Rockadillo is twice my size." 

She hesitated a moment before saying in a small voice,

"You didn't fight back when those people attacked you…"

Sether didn't seem to mind the reminder of the incident,

"If I had, I would've killed them all."

Katai gave a start,

"W… Why? I mean," She stuttered, "I understand _why_, but why kill-"

"Not intentionally, of course, but…" His eyes became dark, "I'm _not_ very good at controlling my strength on a day to day basis, let alone when I'm…"

Katai was silent a long moment, she just walked by his side, watching his profile with worried eyes.

"Stopstaringatme." He grumbled, not looking back at her. She blushed slightly and looked down.

Sether inhaled deeply before asking,

"Would you… Maybe like to try and… Call your parents on PHS?"

"I don't have one." She replied rather harshly. She was trying very hard not to think of them right now. "I dismantled ours when I was three and it never worked since."

Sether smiled,

"Would you like to use mine?"

He then pulled one of his trenchcoat's flaps to get to his pants, and produced the little gadget from his pocket.

"!!"

Katai lifted a brow,

"What kind of things are you keeping in your pocket?" Katai addressed the various pieces of plastic and electronics that were scattered in Sether's big palm.

Sether just stared at the things in his hand. It took Katai some moments to understand his distress. Those pieces of plastic _were_ the PHS, or at least _formally_ were, that is. It was hopelessly broken.

"…They… Those people… Broke it." He mumbled. Katai looked at Sether's face. It was showing emotion, and she wasn't too used to it yet.

Disbelief, shock, _sadness_.

After but a moment or two, Sether's face returned to his cold self, and he returned the junk to his pocket.

Without another word, he continued on.

At noon, they stopped to have a short lunch. They spoke of unimportant things and simply enjoyed the quiet time.

Since they were completely alone in the green valley, Sether packed his hat and sunglasses back into his Store Materia. He kept his trenchcoat, though.

A chilly breeze whistled about, and dark clouds were gathering from the north, but in the meanwhile, it was sunny, if somewhat cool.

Sether and Katai enjoyed each other's company that meal, and did not fight even once. Partly because every time Katai would say something controversial, Sether would not rise to the challenge. He himself never said anything that might lead to a fight, and that only made Katai angrier.

Sether seemed totally distracted; He spoke almost completely in his 'Fartsy' way, and only here and there used contractions. Katai wondered what might have caused this.

Well, probably dying was hard on him, but it seemed to Katai there was more to it than that.

They both stopped talking while they ate. Her mom's food was hard for her to swallow, but it also filled her heart with certain warmth.

Besides, she wasn't alone, was she? She had Sether with her…! And although he probably would not be around for long…

Her train of thought sent shivers down her spine. She glanced up at him.

He was calmly chewing on his food, staring into his plate, deep in thought.

His expression seemed cold to Katai, but also a bit sad.

Was he sad about dying? Na, a strong guy like him wouldn't be afraid of something trivial as death- Death wouldn't be much of a startler for his type of person, she gathered. And there was no chance something little as a broken PHS could discourage him so deeply.

Why then? He looked perfectly ok earlier…

She hadn't a clue.

She didn't know him.

Sure, she knew he was claustrophobic, and that he had killed Ryuto.

But… What else did she know?

That he liked books. That he liked training.

What didn't he like? What was his childhood like for him? Did he have stories he never told anyone? Was he ever really afraid of anything? Ever really lonely or really happy?

_She didn't know him._

And soon, she will never have the chance to find out.

Katai found this thought startling.

…Never to find out?

Never to know what's beneath the mask? The mask that managed to trick her so many times, probably even now?

It disturbed her deeply, as a scientist and a researcher, of course.

All the little things that made him himself, all the tiniest things that he had in his head that nobody knew about. His dreams, his despairs.

If she won't ask soon, she'll never ever know.

"I really cannot eat properly while you are staring at me like that." He said with a full mouth, making it sound like 'Ah biwi cawot eat broberwy wiwu awe fwering at ee eik at."

Katai burst with laughter not only because of the silly sounds, but also because she actually understood what he had said, if only by his tone.

He looked up at her from his plate, slightly embarrassed.

The rest of the afternoon, when they had finally got going again, was spent in silence. They both had a lot on their minds, and spoke very little to each other. They would reach their destination in the next morning, if they would keep a good pace. Katai hadn't a clue of their whereabouts, but found the scenery pretty familiar. From what she could tell, they were heading straight for some pretty steep mountains.

Act 2 

Just before it got too dark, they decided to make camp.

Sether had just finished building his tent as he turned around to find Katai staring at him with watery eyes.

"What's wrong with you?!" Her face highly startled him.

"I…" She then turned away, blushing a bright red, "forgot my to pack my tent last night. So…"

Sether's jaw dropped,

"You mean it's still in Corel?!"

Katai looked further away and nodded.

Sether gave her an exasperated look,

"How could you forget something like that?"

Katai blushed even deeper,

"I… I… I… I ran out to give you your glasses and trenchcoat, so I didn't really get to pack all my stuff…" She then looked up at him with angry eyes, "You're sleeping outside!"

"Are you crazy?" Sether crossed his hands over his chest, "I'll be eaten for sure. We'll share my tent."

Katai's face grew even redder at this, and while Sether turned around to get some more blankets from his Store Materia near the fire, she placed her hands on her burning cheeks,

"Sh… Sh… Sh… Share a tent with a boy?! What a devilish mind you have! Hentai!"

Sether rolled his eyes, but kept ramming through the contents of his Materia,

"Oh, so you know the word 'pervert' too, eh? I bet you got to hear that a lot."

Katai was about to start fighting when Sether's shoulders drooped,

"Forget it. Sorry." He said.

He was doing that all day! Not really rising to any fight. Katai really wanted to fight with him.

Sether then got up,

"I don't have any spare blankets or pillows. Do you?"

Katai shook her head, and Sether sighed again,

"Use mine. I don't need them."

Act 3 

"You go to sleep, I'll go and train a little. I have not trained for several days."

Katai looked up from her empty dinner plate. Sether didn't have an appetite.

"Huh? Oh… Okay." She turned to the tent while Sether took off his shirt. He cursed under his breath for some reason, and seemed to be in some pain. Katai was happy, in a professional way, of course, to see that most of the major wounds were closed. He still had some visible scars, but those would probably disappear soon enough. The stab wound on his shoulder was almost completely closed, though it still look painful.

"And close the tent flaps tight, it's going to rain soon."

Katai entered the tent. She changed her clothes with some hesitation, but their small fire projected Sether's shadow on the tent's side, and she could tell where he was and what he was doing.

When she finished, she laid on her stomach, her head peeking from under a tent flap. She observed Sether as he trained.

He seemed deep in concentration as he executed various slow stretches. After a few of those, he moved to combat.

His motions were beautiful; precise, clean and graceful.

After a few sets of those, he practiced backflips and various acrobatics.

Katai didn't know he was so good at fighting… He seemed so… _Right_, doing it. His body seemed to move as though it was born to do just that- fight.

His muscles were accented in clean lines as he strained them, and made him look all the more masculine. They were fit in a way that implied proper use, and not just pumping them.

Katai placed her cheeks in her palm and watched him.

…Beautiful. 

He was definitely beautiful, in some dangerous way…

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and returned back into the tent.

She pushed the blankets and pillow aside, giving Sether enough room to lie in. He said he didn't need them, right? Katai thought that was pretty strange, to sleep with no blankets and no nothing, but- Sether was a pretty strange person.

After going to a nearby lake and washing up a little, Sether returned to the camp.

He snuck in quietly so Katai wouldn't wake up, but was surprised to see that she was awake.

"Hey." She greeted him.

"Hey." He replied.

He sat down on the bottom on the Tent.

"Umm…" He said, his hands patting the ground pointlessly, "Good night."

He spread on the bottom of the tent, his back to her. He rested his head on one arm and tried to find a comfortable position.

"Good night." Katai said and cuddled in the sleeping bag, her back to him.

Some small tapping sounds started a few breaths later. The tapping sound grew harder as the rain outside took more power.

Katai listened to the soft noises a long moment. She could not make out any sound from Sether with this sound, not even his breath.

"Did you ever have a pet?"

He turned his head to look at her from the corner of his eyes. What was she up to now? He was _trying_ to sleep. What kind of strange question _is_ that, anyway?

"What?"

"A pet, you know! A cat, a dog, something!" She turned over to look at him.

He smiled coolly,

"A cat. I don't like dogs."

"Really?" Katai smiled sweetly, "What was its name?"

He blinked at her for a moment before answering- why on Planet would she be asking about the cat?

"Neko-peko."

Katai snorted in chocked laughter, "Neko-peko?!"

Sether looked away, embarrassed,

"I was little."

She laughed some more before asking,

"Do you still have it?"

He smiled again, this time with more warmth. He found these questions amusing.

"No. It was run over."

"I'm sorry."

Sether's smile widened. He turned over to his back, folding his arms behind his head and looked at the tent roof,

"Don't be- you did not run him over, did you?" He then added, "I was so sad when he died…" His smile became lopsided, "My parents got worried sick over me- Depression is a problem in the Valentine blood."

She nibbled on her lower lip a moment before inquiring,

"Does the Valentine blood have any genetic diseases?"

Now Sether turned to look at her again,

"Why on Planet would you like to know _that_?" His voice expressed disbelief and wonderment.

She continued to chew on her lower lips,

"I… I'm a scientist, I'm curious about these things. Besides," She suddenly found a good excuse to use, "I'm a great admired of Mr. Valentine _senior_, so I want to know things about his family!"

Sether shook his head in a 'whatever' way and, smile fading, he said,

"HMI."

"Huh?"

"Hereditary Mental Instability. HMI. It's a genetic disease of all Valentines. Though my mother's no big help…" His lips contorted into a cruel version of his lopsided grin. Still, Katai noticed that there was a lot of pain in his eyes.

After a short pause Sether said without looking at her,

"Anything _else_ you want to know?"

Katai seemed very much enthusiastic about this suggestion, even if he _did_ say it sarcastically. She sat up abruptly, startling Sether, and reached for her Store Materia.

"Oh, yes!" She exclaimed, pulling out her notepad and a pen, "Tons!"

Sether rolled his eyes- he'll probably won't get a lot of sleep tonight.

Endure one more night, Sether- tomorrow; She's gone!

Is that good… or bad?

She smiled radiantly at him. Last time she smiled at him like that was when she learned he had Jenova cells in him, or when she told him what she researched.

"Ok!" Her smile was getting happier each moment, "Where did you grow up?"

Sether sighed in defeat and said,

"There's a price."

"A what?" Katai blinked.

"Every question you ask me, you have to answer yourself, and I get a question or two myself."

Katai got a sly look in her eyes,

"You wanna know more about me?" She fluttered her eyelashes.

"No." He smiled, "It's just a way of keeping you from asking terribly personal questions."

Katai pouted and decided to be professional and carry on;

"Where were you born and raised?" She repeated.

"Born? In 'Lucrecia's Cavern'. I was raised in Wutai." He was looking at her intently.

"At what age did you have Pookie-Dookie?"

He frowned,

"That's Neko-Peko- I had him since I was four. My parents brought him in so I'll stop talking to myself."

"Huh?" She peeked over her notepad a moment to give him a strange look.

"I used to talk to myself. Well, it wasn't really myself. I used to talk to my imaginary… Umm…"

She was still staring at him.

"…Now that I think of it…" He mused, still looking back at her, "I was probably talking to Sephiroth."

"Correct!" Chirped a voice from outside the tent. Sether closed his eyes briefly with annoyance before returning to look at Katai.

"What are you doing here?" He murmured. Katai was busy scribbling and didn't notice.

"Ya think I'll let my little brother spend the night in the same tent with a gorgeous babe, and not hang around??"

"You're sick." Sether said. This, Katai did notice.

"What did you say?!"

Sether smiled apologetically at her,

"You're sick, the way you write everything down like that." 

She stuck her nose up in that stuck-up way that made him smile wider.

"Well, if you mind so much just answering some little questions then I think I-"

"I don't mind." He said softly. Katai gave him a surprised look. Sether, being talkative about himself?? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Once in a lifetime… Depends on your life-span…

Shaking that thought from her mind, she went on with her questions,

"What's your favorite food?"

"Ah-ah." He shook a finger at her before returning his hand to support his head, "First answer the question yourself. Where were you born?"

Katai sat in a more comfortable position and chewed thoughtfully on the tip on her pen,

"Well, Our house has always been in Rocket City, but we used to travel so much!" She smiled widely, "You can say I was raised onboard the Highwind." She smiled wider with sweet memories, "Now answer!"

"Pancakes."

"Pancakes?"

"The greatest thing in the world." He smiled a happy lopsided grin, "When there're made just right with real maple syrup on top…" He was smiling like a happy kid as he thought of it, and it reminded Katai of Seth-kun.

"Mine," She said, "Is this special kind of brew that my dad used to make!"

There was amusement in his eyes as he asked, "You favorite food is a drink?"

"Weeell," She intoned, "You should have tasted it! It's the best alcohol known to man!"

Sether was incredibly tired, and he wondered how was it that Katai was all energetic like that. They both had a rough night before, and he felt ill.

What gave her the energy to stay up so much? Sether was certain she always loved to go to sleep early…

Doing some mental calculation while she was telling him in extensive length about how her dad makes that winebeer thing, and Sether realized that it wasn't all that late.

…It was properly his illness that made him so tired, so early.

He felt like sighing, but did not want to disturb Katai's babbling.

At long last she settled back into her the covers, cuddled herself tightly and continued her interrogation,

"Okay," She chewed on the tip of the pen- apparently she had cuddled with her notepad as well, "How many girlfriends did you have? Counting also little crushes."

"Huh?" Sether gave her a dumbfound look, "What do you mean?"

Katai laughed,

"Girlfriends, you know! Don't act shy! I had three boyfriends, myself." She smiled a nostalgic smile, "The first one was when I was just starting junior-high."

"Three?"

"Yup! What about you?"

Sether frowned and looked away, as if calculating something difficult.

"None." He finally admitted, his face as if he never really thought about it before, "Not one."

"What?! You want me to believe that?!"

Sether was still wondering about this. It never really occurred to him. He shrugged,

"I never had time for all that nonsense."

"Nonsense?!" she was becoming more shocked by the moment, but at a certain level, it seemed un-surprising.

Sether shrugged again,

"I never thought about that before."

"Man, you're stupid." She pouted.

Here he frowned,

"I am certain my intelligence has nothing to do with it."

"Or lack of…" Katai gave him a mean smile.

Here Sether asked,

"Why are you trying to show how smart you are all the time?"

He didn't say it in a mocking tone, rather, a curious one. Katai was taken by surprise.

"Weeeell…" She intoned uneasily, fumbling a short moment before continuing, "I'm the daughter of Cid Highwind. I was getting that all my life. 'The daughter of the great Cid Highwind'. The best pilot in the world." She got a sad sort of smile on her lips as she remembered, "Then people would always turn to me with the sort of look on their face that asked 'what can _you_ do?' how are you amazing? You have to be, if you're the daughter of Cid Highwind and Shera Trilock. Since my little brother was gone, _someone_ had to uphold the family honor." She then realized that she was telling all this to _Sether_, of all people.

He was just looking at her with a gentle look in his eyes.

Not knowing what to do, she scoffed, and tried to be professional and carry on.

She chewed on her lower lip again a moment before asking one last question,

"What about Limit Brakes? Do you have them?" She didn't know if the cat-eye thing was a Limit Brake, and she wouldn't dare ask about… Ryuto.

"I have three," He said and yawned, "_Whatthe_, _Laugh_ and _Desire._ I haven't found the forth yet, and I don't ever want to."

"Why?"

He gave her a leveled look mixed with slight annoyance,

"Cloud, for example, had Omnislash. My Father had Chaos… Sephiroth had Super Nova, which, I might add, _destroyed the entire solar system_, and he could do it _more than once_… So: I do not wish to discover what is my last limit brake. What about you?"

"Me? I'm no fighter, thank holy, so I don't have them."

"Oh."

"I have another questi-"

Sether turned his back to her,

"Let me sleep." He mumbled, hugging himself to fend off the cold.

The rain outside continued in a steady rhythm. Katai realized that the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find out what she could- had ended. She sighed heavily and tried to go to sleep as well.

Sether stayed awake for long minutes. His mind bothered by various disturbing thoughts. After some time he started hearing a soft tune being hummed. It wasn't Katai humming it, because the voice humming it was unmistakably male. It resembled Sether's voice; a deep bass with a mean reverb to it.

It was the tune his mother used to hum when he was little so he'd go to sleep.

"Stop it." Sether pleaded in a whisper. His voice strained.

Sephiroth stopped.

Sether hugged himself tighter. He was cold, and uncomfortable.

"…I…" He whispered, "…I miss mom and dad."

Sephiroth was silent. Sether continued, though he hadn't a clue why he was telling this to his dead brother,

"…I was selfish… All I wanted was to calm my anger… I should have stayed with mom."

"…You did what you thought was right." Sephiroth said quietly.

Sether continued,

"…I was so angry with myself that I failed to protect him… I wanted to beat up those people so bad…" He cuddled into a tighter ball, trying to suppress the lump in his throat, "Now I'll never see them again… And I can't even call them before I…"

Here Sephiroth sounded cheery,

"That's one worry you shouldn't have, Otouto."

"Huh?" Sether cringed, fearing his whispers would wake Katai up.

Sephiroth smiled, though Sether could not see it through the tent cloth,

"You don't need to actually talk," He said, "Moving your lips is enough. What a bore…" Sephiroth then chuckled, "Nothing happened between you and Katai."

Sether blushed deep red and mouthed wordlessly,

"What are you thinking about?!"

Sephiroth chuckled some more,

"Don't get all upset- I wanted to protect you! She's one scary chick, and you're too naïve."

"I am not naïve…" He mumbled in a petty tone, feeling stupid because he didn't totally understand what Sephiroth was talking about.

…Maybe he was a little naïve. Just a little.

Katai dared not show any signs that she was awake.

* * *

Please tell me what you think! Oh, and don't forget to visit my site (At my profile page) if you want to see fanart of Sether and Katai.  
I hope you liked it! More to come in a few weeks.  
Thanks for reading my stuff!  
LunarBlade. 


	21. Sether: Love

Love  
  
Act 1  
  
That morning, Sether had agreed reluctantly to wake up some time past dawn so that they might get to their destination by mid-morning.  
  
He slept terrible. Every little sound Katai made woke him up. He was not used to sleeping in the same room with anyone else.  
  
Still, his ego would not let him show that he suffering and he proceeded as planned.  
  
".Happy Holy Day." Sether said while they were eating their breakfast silently.  
  
"Huh?" Katai, who was staring into her food, deep in thought, looked at Sether.  
  
"H. Happy Holy Day." She replied, finding this Holy Day to be more depressing than she was used to. What with the mob beating Sether up and all only two nights before, she felt as if the spirit of Holy Day was missed this year. To cheer the mood she said,  
  
"Isn't it funny that Holy Day isn't even close to the day Avalanche destroyed Meteor?"  
  
Sether looked at her shortly,  
  
"I heard it was exactly nine months after Meteor that Magic returned. That's why it was decided to celebrate it today- The day the Planet decided to keep Humans alive."  
  
It was still pretty early when they reached the hem of a great big mountain range.  
  
They stopped at it's bottom and looked up.  
  
"So," Katai gave Sether a sideways glance as he studied the steep cliff side, "What now? We don't have any chocobo capable of crossing this, you know." She was looking at him with a smug look. He probably forgot that they had no way of going any further.  
  
"We don't need a chocobo." He said with his lopsided grin. Before Katai could remark anything, he swung one hand under her feet and carried her in his arms. She blinked in surprise and then yelped as Sether started leaping up the mountain.  
  
It seemed as easy to him to leap up ten feet at a time, as it would have been for Katai to play hopscotch. He was pouncing from rock to rock- some of those crumbled with the unexpected weight- but by the time they were gone, so was he.  
  
It took them approximately ten minutes to get all the way to the peak. Katai was amazed.  
  
"I'm amazed!" She exclaimed. Sether gave her another crooked smile. He thought she was talking about the view.  
  
It was breathtaking: Below them was a small valley, completely surrounded by mountains, except for a small stream that gushed through a parting in the aloof cliffs about.  
  
A magnificent waterfall created a rainbow as bright as paint as it tumbled down to the small pond.  
  
".Lucrecia's Waterfall.!" Katai mumbled in awe. She had never seen it from this angle before.  
  
"You've been here?" Sether inquired. Katai nodded. She was feeling pretty silly, there in his arms. "It's our winter house."  
  
Sether raised his brows,  
  
"It's our summer house." He smiled.  
  
"Now put me down!" She squirmed in his grip.  
  
"Hold on tight," He said, still smiling. He removed one hand from supporting her, and was now holding her from around her waist and under his arm, "It's not over yet." And with that, he started down the mountain.  
  
Katai screamed.  
  
He was skidding and sliding down the mountain with an agility that surpassed any goat, cat and definitely, any Human Katai had ever seen.  
  
"Stooooop!!!" She yelped, hitting his chest with fisted hands. She was used to the falling feeling of descent from her travels on the Highwind- but not at such speeds, and not when the only thing stopping her from tumbling down a mountain was one arm.  
  
Sether's other hand was used to stabilize himself.  
  
"Let me down!!" She screamed in fright.  
  
"S. Stop squirming!" He demanded. Their speed, by now, was amazing, and there were only a few dozen feet till they reached the bottom.  
  
At that point, because Sether's attention was on the squirming person under his arm, he tripped.  
  
Katai fell silent the moment she felt they were in the air. Fear gripping he heart so fiercely she couldn't even react.  
  
Sether, on the other hand, released Katai from his grip, and twisted his body in mid air.  
  
This resulted in him doing a magnificent feat of aerobatics and he landed dramatically on his feet, down on the grassy plain by the lake.  
  
He spread his hands forward nonchalantly and caught Katai.  
  
She was shaking with fear and staring blankly ahead.  
  
Hmm. Maybe he should have warmed her.  
  
He placed her gently on her feet, a look of slight worry on his face.  
  
Katai didn't seem to have any plans on reacting to the environment for a while, so he took a few steps ahead to check if everything was okay around the lake. He noticed a chocobo saddle some feet away and wondered briefly of its origin.  
  
That's about when a boot hit the back of his head.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"Baka!!"  
  
Katai was back to her normal self quicker than he expected. He turned to her, innerved.  
  
She took her boot back and put it on and then she bounced to her feet, fists raised to her face. She bounced lightly from foot to foot, punching air,  
  
"C'mon, c'mon!" She glared at him, trying to suppress her smile under an angry face, "You deserve a good walloping for what you just did! Let's see you against me! C'mon!"  
  
Sether rolled his eyes, but couldn't repress a smile,  
  
"You're stance's all wrong."  
  
He accepted the challenge (If it could be called a 'challenge') and stepped up to her.  
  
She punched air about her, trying to look intimidating and trying to remember how she saw those people on TV do it. She tried to punch him, but he dodged with ease.  
  
"Do you really want to fight me?" He asked with a vicious smile.  
  
Katai wasn't going to let him frighten her, and she punched again and missed,  
  
"You coward!" She squeaked with a grin, "You couldn't beat me even if you tried!"  
  
He actually chuckled at this. Since he was closing his eyes, she used the opportunity to clubber him in the nose.  
  
At least, that's what she planned to do.  
  
When she thought she would feel impact, Sether's head wasn't there anymore. He had bent back, nothing moving but his back, and grabbed her extended fist. Then, with great pleasure, he swept both of her feet from under her with one swift motion of his leg.  
  
She fell, but since he did not let go of her fist, he slowed her fall made it so she would land softly on her back. He then released her hand and stood there, looking at her with curiosity.  
  
"You were saying?"  
  
"This isn't over yet!" She pounced to her feet and started to advance at him, punching about.  
  
He retreated back with nimble steps and dodged her raging, if somewhat petit, punches with a big smile,  
  
"Your stance is wrong!" He repeated again, "How can you hope to topple your enemy if your legs don't have grip on the ground?"  
  
"Shuddap!" She snapped, punching high and low. He was still doing that little dance with his feet while retreating. He seemed to enjoy this, Katai thought, and it only made her angrier. She wanted to clobber him!  
  
"Knuckles first, not the fingers!" He said, "You'll break your fingers if you hit like that!"  
  
"Shuddaaap!" She tried harder to hit him to no avail, "I don't want to learn how to fight- I just want to beat you up! I'm a pacifist!"  
  
Sether thought that there was absolutely no logic in that sentence, but he let it slide.  
  
"You're wide open to attacks!" He continued to coach her as they made their way around the small lake, "What about your defense?" Just to prove his point, he poked her forehead between one punch and the next.  
  
"Hey!" She yelped and attacked harder. She still could not catch him. Her punches flew fast, but never fast enough to catch up with Sether's nose, which was her ultimate target.  
  
Unfortunately for Sether, in his retreat and teasing, he failed to notice the chocobo saddle on the grass behind him and tripped back with a surprised grunt.  
  
"Haha!" Katai triumphantly laughed, placing her hands on her hips and looking smug again as if she was the one who tripped him, "How do you like that, Mr. High-and-mighty?"  
  
Sether wondered that there was probably a chocobo around before he returned his attention to Katai. With swift and precise motions, he leaned on his hands and clamped both of his legs on hers like a pair scissors, and tripped her. She screamed as she fell on her behind. Before she could do anything, Sether was above her, pinning both her wrists to the grass.  
  
He had a big smile on his face, and eventually, so did she. She started laughing and Sether joined with his chuckling.  
  
Then there was a moment of silence.  
  
Sether still had her pinned underneath him, and they were starring into each other's eyes a long moment.  
  
The world seemed to stop and hold it's breath for just a short moment.  
  
Sether snapped out of it first, quickly withdrawing and sitting on the grass, his back to her so she wouldn't see the irrational blush that tainted his cheeks.  
  
".Baka." She mumbled and sat up. Then she pounced on his back and tried to choke him with an arm across his neck.  
  
Sether, totally oblivious to her attempts, got up. Katai was hanging from his neck, making little noises as she tried to beat him.  
  
"Katai, what are you doing?" He turned his head to look at her, dangling like a cape behind him. He was taller than her by enough so that she wasn't touching the ground.  
  
"Umm. Strangling you? And I'd appreciate it if you cooperated!" She gave him a mean glare.  
  
"Hack. Cough. Gasp. Happy?"  
  
Then, with one hand, he reached up and grabbed her tiny wrist. She gave a small squeak at the ease he removed her hand from his neck even though she was trying very hard to resist. He didn't hurt her, in fact, it would seem he tried to unwrap her with as much gentleness he could. She plopped back down to her feet.  
  
".You're no fun!" She smiled at him through her mock pout.  
  
Sether was about to say something when a new voice bellowed,  
  
"Sether Cid Valentine, are you harassing this lady?" The voice was much like Sether's, and he swirled around with shock all over his face.  
  
"D. Dad?!"  
  
1 Act 2  
  
Vincent Valentine was now around his 80's, yet did not look a day over 30. He was more handsome than Shera described him to her daughter.  
  
Katai stared at him.  
  
At the moment, he was standing with his hands crossed over chest and was giving his son a reproachful look. He had a black turtleneck sweater and matching pants. His boots were black and pointy and the bronze claw that he had for a left hand gleamed as if it were new. A worn red bandanna was wrapped around his head to keep the tumbling locks of ebony black hair from his lean face.  
  
"Dad! You're okay!!!" Sether took a step towards his father when the later reached out and grabbed Sether's ear firmly,  
  
"Don't try to change the subject, young man- I would not let a Valentine pick on a lady!"  
  
Sether was being dragged by the ear into the cave.  
  
Katai blinked in astonishment.  
  
Was this the same man who had just beaten her?  
  
"Ow, ow! Ow! Ow! Daad!" He whined. "Da~d! Cut it out! Owwww!" Katai never thought Sether was capable of such a whiney voice.  
  
She followed quickly.  
  
Upon entering the cave, she saw the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.  
  
"Sethy! Okaeri!" Welcome. Her voice was slightly too cheerful.  
  
Lucrecia.  
  
She, too, was supposed to be in her 80's, and she too didn't look much older than Sether himself. She had thin glasses and brown hair tied in a tight pony-tail. She also had two bang-like strands bouncing in front of her face. They weren't as thick and didn't have the presence of Sether's, but Katai didn't really know a lot of people who did have bangs like Sether's. Her face was small and round, and when her eyes were open, they twinkled with warmth, somewhere behind the slightly happy insane gleam.  
  
Katai was surprised by the fact that Lucrecia was even shorter than herself. Compared to her husband and son, she seemed out of proportion. She reached Sether's mid-chest, while Katai was only about a head shorter than Sether.  
  
Vincent let go of his son's ear and studied him, "Sether," He asked, "Are you okay? You seem a little paler than usual."  
  
Sether was gawking at him,  
  
"Eh. Am I okay?! Dad! When did you wake up? What are you guys doing here?" His excitement showed on his face and he seemed on the verge of happy tears.  
  
Vincent smiled happily as well,  
  
"I woke up the day before yesterday. We tried to call you, but we could not reach you."  
  
"I accidentally broke the PHS." He shrugged, dropping the events of that night, "How are you feeling?" Sether asked with enthusiasm, and then, as his mother came and latched herself to his chest with a big hug, he repeated, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"After I woke up, we discovered that we forgot one of your mother's favorite frying pans here at summer, so we came to get it."  
  
"You came all the way for a frying pan?" Katai asked with shock.  
  
Vincent gave her a surprised look, as if he had forgotten she was there,  
  
"And who might you be, pretty lady?"  
  
Katai actually blushed at this. She had been watching the conversation all this time and she was feeling totally in awe to be in the presence of the Mr. Valentine.  
  
As she fumbled for words, Sether pointed at her.  
  
"That's Katai." He said.  
  
Vincent frowned down at her with a narrowing of his keen red eyes.  
  
"She seems familiar. Have we met, Miss?"  
  
"N. N. No, sir." She mumbled meekly, and Sether couldn't help but raise his brows at this change of mood.  
  
"Well," Vincent seemed a little embarrassed as he returned his attention to his son, "You know how much I love pancakes, and they do tend to turn out best with that pan. Anyway," He continued, "I was not feeling very good yesterday, and we stayed today as well. Then guess who popped in?"  
  
He gestured towards one of the 'rooms' around the main hall. The rooms were actually small caverns that connected to the main hall from various directions.  
  
"What's all the %^@$% commotion?" A slightly gruff voice asked, and Cid emerged from the room Vincent was pointing towards.  
  
In a blink, Katai was in her dad's arms.  
  
"Dad!!!" She shrieked with glee.  
  
"Oh, so she is your daughter?" Vincent smiled at Cid, "I thought she looked familiar; She is so beautiful! How lucky for her she got her mother's looks." His smile turned evil.  
  
"Ha," Cid scoffed, still holding his daughter tightly, "Same with you- your kid doesn't look much like a certain vampire I know- are you sure he's your kid?"  
  
Vincent straightened with pride.  
  
"He is my son, alright."  
  
Sether was somewhere is seventh heaven.  
  
His dad was okay, his mother was still latched to his chest and Katai was happily in her father's arms. Luckily, everyone's attention was on the exchange between Cid and Vincent, so Sether could wipe the single tear from his cheek before anyone could notice.  
  
Shera came out of the same room as Cid has, drawn by the commotion.  
  
"Mom! You're okay too!"  
  
Shera hugged her daughter as well,  
  
"Why wouldn't we be okay, dearest?"  
  
Katai told them what had happened to their home, and the two were pretty shocked. She noticed a coffee table that had the world map on it as a cover. She sat down on her knees besides it and told them what had happened; showing them the path the weapon took. They seemed very alarmed at first, but she also told them of the scientists' theories.  
  
They recuperated some time later with help of Lucrecia's pancakes.  
  
"The time is now!" She sang when they were ready. With her eyes closed with happiness, she pranced into the main hall. In her hands she was holding a plate with a tower of pancakes.  
  
No one could resist the way the maple dripped to the plate from atop the tower.  
  
The pancakes were gone within moments.  
  
The main hall was arranged in the following way:  
  
In the center was a great vacancy, covered with thick carpet. Along the walls were various cabinets and closets for storage. By the northern wall were some couches; A triple sofa against the wall, a loveseat at the side and a single-seat on the other side. All the couches were facing the center, where the small coffee table stood.  
  
"Man," Cid announced after a while, "I can't believe you haven't changed, Vince! I bet you're wearing tons of makeup or something.!"  
  
Sether gave Cid a strange look; He had never, in his life, heard his dad let anyone call him 'Vince'. Not in his face, anyway.  
  
Cid was squinting at Vincent, trying to see if it was as he said. After a moment of this Cid got up and decided to take a closer look. This made Vincent very uncomfortable. Cid was standing next to him, studying him closely as the later was trying to eat his last pancake.  
  
"Cid," Vincent growled after a short moment.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I really cannot eat properly while you are staring at me like that."  
  
Sether and Katai exchanged worried glances between them before they both started laughing. Well, Katai laughed and Sether chuckled.  
  
Cid and Vincent gave the two a strange look.  
  
Katai was on the floor, holding her stomach and laughing her head off. Sether himself found it hard to contain his laughter. Luckily, both his parents clamped their hands over their son's mouth just as a laughter managed to escape. The Highwinds were giving them a weird look.  
  
After Sether and Katai had calmed down, his parents removed their hands and he actually thanked them for gagging him.  
  
"Huh? What's the deal with the kid?"  
  
Sether hated it when people addressed him as 'kid' or 'boy', but since it was the honorable Cid Highwind doing it, he didn't mind that much.  
  
Vincent scratched the back of his head while Sether looked away. He didn't want to discuss his various oddities.  
  
"It is just that our son was blessed with a very unique kind of laughter that certain molecular structures do not approve of."  
  
Sether gave his father a strange look. What a strange way of saying it.  
  
Cid, knowing Vincent and knowing that his son had to be at least as complicated as Vincent himself, let the issue pass with a shrug of his shoulders.  
  
Sether liked that.  
  
".Would you like to see my room?" Sether asked Katai meekly, feeling uncomfortable around so many people. 'So many' being only five, two of which were his parents and one of which was his traveling companion. Still, more than two people beside himself always made him nervous.  
  
"Sure!" She chirped and they both got up and walked to the other side of the hall.  
  
"I've been to most of the caverns when we were here last year, and I didn't see any room that had much stuff in it."  
  
Sether smiled at her and reached to one of the carpets that hung on the walls.  
  
It is a good time to mention that the cavern was not like it used to be. Over the years, both the Highwinds and the Valentines had decorated it and added a lot to it. It looked more like a modernly designed house with a round ceiling than a cave in the middle of nowhere.  
  
Katai was certain that those carpets were just there for decorations, and was very much surprised when Sether moved one of them to reveal another doorway.  
  
Katai went in.  
  
It was a nice room.  
  
"You've got a nice son." Cid nodded his head to Vincent and Lucrecia once the kids left.  
  
"Thank you." Vincent smiled "Your daughter seems to be a very nice person as well."  
  
Cid beamed with pride,  
  
"She's a great kid- Smarter than her old man ever will be."  
  
Vincent smiled at this, "It's not that hard, you know."  
  
Vincent just leaned back and actually enjoyed the string of curses that ensued. He missed Cid dearly.  
  
Eventually Lucrecia interfered,  
  
"Do you think 'Katai Valentine' sounds nice?"  
  
There was a long pause after that.  
  
It wasn't because Lucrecia had just arbitrarily decided that they belong together: Cid was wondering whether to have the wedding outside or indoors, Shera was thinking how beautiful Katai will be in a wedding dress, and Vincent was impressed that Lucrecia actually made sense.  
  
"This is where I stay when we're here." Sether said, "It's not much, but it keeps me occupied."  
  
Every wall around the room had book shelves on it. Once the shelves ran out, books were piled on the floor in stacks that reached Katai's waist.  
  
"Wow." She said, looking around.  
  
"As I said, it's not much. I have the books I already read here. Most of them anyway, some I still keep at home."  
  
"You actually read all this?!" She picked up a random book and flipped through it. "Ack!" She whined, "It's in Wutian!"  
  
Sether then produced the book he had bought in Corel from his Store Materia and placed it on a specific shelf. It was a small one, compared to the others, and had only a few books on it.  
  
"This is the section which is not Wutian."  
  
Katai glared at him,  
  
"Amazing!" She threw her hands in the air, and Sether didn't understand whether she said it with annoyance or excitement.  
  
"That Seth of yours reminds me of someone." Cid was scratching the back of his head with thought. Vincent didn't understand what he meant.  
  
"That's odd," He said, "Not a lot of people look like him. Not since Sephiroth, at least."  
  
Then Cid's eyes widened,  
  
"That's it!" He exclaimed, "He looks a bit like Sephiroth!"  
  
Vincent gave his friend a strange look,  
  
"You did not notice?" Vincent blinked.  
  
Cid seemed rather embarrassed,  
  
"Aaahh. Weeeell." He intoned, "We didn't get a really good look at him. Before he ran off with our daughter." Then something else struck him, "Waidaminute! That means that Sephiroth was your son?!"  
  
Vincent smiled and simply said, "Yes."  
  
"And you didn't tell me?!"  
  
Here Vincent seemed apologetic,  
  
"Until Sether was born, I did not know it myself."  
  
Katai was sitting on the only place where there weren't books; on the bed. Sether, in the meanwhile, tidied his room a little- bringing books with certain Wutian titles here and other titles there. Katai could not read the intricate calligraphy.  
  
"You have such nice parents!" She beamed at him, and he smiled warmly,  
  
"Thanks." There was a tinge of sadness in his voice. Then, after a short pause he said, "Our parents seem to be getting along exceptionally well, don't you think?"  
  
Katai nodded,  
  
"It's just like the stories mom used to tell! It's so so so so so so so cooool!"  
  
Sether smiled,  
  
"Let's go join them."  
  
"Happy Holy Day!"  
  
They toasted a drink over lunch. Sether classified Cid and Katai as the Highwind males, and they were toasting with alcohol, while the others toasted with Apple juice.  
  
"May Aeris watch over us all!" Vincent raised his glass.  
  
"May the world never need crazy people like us no-more!" Cid laughed.  
  
"Kupo!" Lucrecia smiled.  
  
Ignoring her, Katai raised her mug, "May the future hold more joy than pain!"  
  
"May Katai and Sether's wedding be a great one!" That was Shera's wish. Both Sether and Katai were starring at her.  
  
"Mo~m!?" Katai hissed through clenched teeth. Sether just blushed.  
  
"Sether," Vincent looked at his son, "What is your wish?"  
  
Sether looked down a long moment, thinking of the various wishes he had. Finally he raised his glass and said quietly,  
  
"I wish peace for wondering souls."  
  
All but Katai nodded with approval and drank for that. Katai couldn't help but feel a great dread regarding that solemn desire. Sether, noticing her look, looked at her and smiled, shrugging as if saying 'That's the truth' and drank his Apple juice.  
  
"So!" Shera turned to Lucrecia, though talking to Lucrecia most of the time turned out just strange, "When do you think will be a good time for the wedding?"  
  
"MOM!" Katai bounced to her feet and glared at her mother, face red.  
  
"What is it, dearest?" Shera could genuinely not understand her daughter's distress.  
  
"We-"  
  
Here Vincent interfered,  
  
"I think we should wait for spring."  
  
Katai was now glaring with disbelief at Vincent.  
  
"What?" Shera looked back to her daughter, "Aren't you in love with him?"  
  
Katai's face grew even redder. Four faces looked at her curiously.  
  
She opened her mouth, but Sether stood up abruptly and left the hall for his room.  
  
"Moody, ain't he?" Cid glanced at Vincent. Vincent only shrugged.  
  
There was a soft thud on the cloth of his room, as if someone tried to knock on it.  
  
"Who is it?" Sether asked rather gruffly.  
  
"Me." Without waiting for an invitation, Cid came in the room. Sether was laying on the bed, reading the book he had bought in Corel.  
  
"Whatcha reading?" Cid sat on the bed and studied the book, "Oooo." He said after reading the title, "'The Avalanche Chronicles'. I heard it was good." Sether glanced over the book at him with a rather cold look and said, "I have read the Wutian version, but I heard this one was the original, and so was the better of the two." After a moment of silence Sether added, "I do not like the way they portray Sephiroth in both versions."  
  
Cid smiled and asked,  
  
"What do you think of Sephiroth?" he tilted his head, and Sether wondered why the pilot was bothering to talk with him. Still, since he was his father's oldest and dearest friend, and not to mention Sether's own middle namesake, he tried to be nice.  
  
"I think Sephiroth was misunderstood. I do not say his actions were justified or legitimate on any level, but I do not think he had that evilness about him he is so feared for. It was Jenova using his name, and not himself who was evil."  
  
Cid nodded thoughtfully. Then Sether ventured gently,  
  
"You. Raised Katai to hate him?" He recalled that Katai had said that she was raised to hate the 'One Winged Angel'.  
  
"Nope, not us." Cid shook his head, "Public schools. I never had problems with the sonova. Person." He chuckled to himself, and Sether frowned slightly, "She always had her own ideas and thoughts- nothing we old folks could say to persuade her otherwise from anything she ever decided."  
  
"She is stubborn, eh?" Sether smiled his lopsided grin, and Cid started laughing,  
  
"Sure is! Nothing more stubborn than her exists!"  
  
They both chuckled at this.  
  
"Katai is." Sether started, discarding the book aside and crossing his hands behind his head, "She's so. Conflicting." He was so terrible at expressing himself. Especially to strangers. Still, he felt an obligation to his father to at least try and be open and sociable to the honorable Cid Highwind. "I never know what to expect with her."  
  
Cid smiled,  
  
"You see, Katai has two problems;" He paused to reflect upon that statement before correcting himself, "Katai has many problems, just like anybody else, but only two of them are related to what I'm trying to ^&@# say."  
  
Sether smiled and listened.  
  
"You see, Katai is really an adventurer in her spirit, but she's also a tight-assed, down to earth kinda person, and those two parts are always fighting in her. Also she's a ^&#$$ logical, smart person, but she's also a women, and we know that women are never logical."  
  
Sether raised his brows at this.  
  
"My mother is not really a good example." He said.  
  
Here Cid laughed, "Your mama is one meteorava person!"  
  
Sether only smiled.  
  
Cid than gave Sether a long look, looking him up and down. Sether sat up and flung his legs to the floor. He sat beside Cid and tried not to fidget under the scrutiny.  
  
"Just like your old man." Cid mused out loud with a sigh.  
  
"Pardon?" Sether didn't understand what he meant.  
  
"I can see a lot of your old man in you." Cid placed a hand over Sether's shoulder, and the later hoped he wasn't going to squeeze it, since the stab wound was still under his shirt. Still, he was curious what Cid was about to say and kept silent and stiff,  
  
"I can also see some of your mother's finer traits in ya." He patted Sether softly on the head as if he were a little boy before getting up and starting towards the doorway,  
  
"But you're too damn cold, kid."  
  
Sether blinked at him. He was trying to be nice to the honorable Mr. Highwind, and didn't want to accidentally offend him. He thought he was being talkative just now.  
  
"But I-" Sether began, but Cid cut in,  
  
"You have expressions, and that's more than your daddy used to have, but you never say what you feel. I can sense it."  
  
Sether was staring at him. He had only known him for a few hours and he comes out and analyses him? Sether was about to argue, but, when he thought about it, there could be something in the pilot's words.  
  
"Somethings," Cid stood before Sether and placed his hands on his hips, "Somethings you just can't say by expressions alone." Sether looked aside, not knowing how to react or what to say.  
  
"But!"  
  
Sether looked back at Cid.  
  
"But, somethings you can say. Like asking this:" Cid then proceeded to give Sether a blood-chilling stare. He lowered his head and glared at the silver haired warrior from the top of his eyes. The hands on his hips clenched into fits and Cid growled, "What am I asking you with this expression?"  
  
Sether swallowed hard before replying meekly,  
  
".If. I. was nice. t. to Katai.?"  
  
Cid gave Sether a short smile before yanking the later up from the collar of his shirt,  
  
"Were ya?!"  
  
Sether pondered this a long moment. He could say that they had kissed once, and of course, subsequently die from Cid's beating. He could say that he was nice, but that would be a lie. He was mean to her at times. He could say that she had turned tomato red on many occasions, and die.  
  
"I tried." He finally said. It wasn't a lie.! It wasn't that he wanted to lie; it's just that he wanted to live in order to help Sephiroth, and not be killed by his father's best friend.  
  
Cid let go of Sether's collar with a 'Good enough for me' shrug and left. After a moment to exhale with relief Sether followed Cid to the main hall.  
  
Besides, he already worked out his embarrassment over the earlier conversation.  
  
Marrying her? Both of their parents seemed certain that they should be together.  
  
Ack! What was he thinking about?! He didn't have time for this! He had to. Had to.  
  
Whatever he had to do in order to get his life back to normal, it didn't involve thinking of stupid things like 'Girls'!  
  
2 Act 3  
  
In the meanwhile, Katai was seating and talking to Vincent. She had a million questions to ask him!  
  
They were both sitting on a couch in the main hall.  
  
"Now I know where Sether got his looks from!" She chirped happily.  
  
Her mind kicked her, and she tried to correct herself, "Not that I think he's handsome or anything!" Now her mind kicked her again, and she added quickly, "Not that I think you're ugly!" She then covered her face with her hands and wanted to die.  
  
Vincent just smiled at her and didn't seem to mind her fumbling.  
  
"You said you wanted to ask me something?" He changed the subject so she would not feel so bad.  
  
"What was Sether like when he was a kid?" She inquired, lifting her head and forsaking all embarrassment. She had originally meant to ask questions for her research, but the question just popped right out of her mouth.  
  
"He wanted to be normal." He said with slight sadness. Or was it regret? "He. Never thought of himself as different from other kids until."  
  
"Ryuto?" The name slipped her tongue. She didn't want to tell him she knew exactly what had happened, but she couldn't contain her curiosity.  
  
Vincent looked at her with surprise,  
  
"He told you what happened?"  
  
Katai fidgeted in her seat, not knowing what to say,  
  
".Sorta." She mumbled. Does she tell him that Sephiroth showed her? She doesn't. She hardly found it logical herself, let alone to tell it to Sephiroth's father.  
  
Vincent nodded solemnly,  
  
"Sether is a very sensitive boy."  
  
Katai wanted to burst out with laughter at this, but it didn't seem like the right thing to do at the moment. Vincent continued,  
  
"The Ryuto incident really killed his spirit, and it truly brakes my heart that he continues to blame himself for it."  
  
Katai chewed on her lower lip a long moment.  
  
"Why.? He. How can he not know it was an accident.?"  
  
Vincent gave her a leveled look,  
  
"Because he thinks he should have known his own abilities."  
  
"What?" She looked up to meet Vincent's red eyes.  
  
They reminded her a lot of Sether's, but they were very different.  
  
"When Sether was little, the good doctor from Medeel thought it would be interesting to see what are Sether's abilities. It was obvious from day one that Sether wasn't a normal child. The doctor said that we needed to know what Sether could do for ours, and his, protection."  
  
Katai listened intensely. And Vincent looked at the ceiling of the cave, recalling those days.  
  
"But Sether wouldn't have it. He kept insisting that he was normal, that he had nothing strange about him. He knew he couldn't harm anyone with malice intent, and had confidence in himself." Vincent's voice was low and sad and he said, "He kept saying that he was normal just like any other kid, that except from his limit brakes, he was totally, utterly and without a doubt normal."  
  
They were silent a long moment. Then Katai said quietly,  
  
"But it's only normal to want to be. Normal. Not to be a 'freak' or an outcast."  
  
Vincent smiled,  
  
".Just like your father." He mused with a sigh.  
  
"Huh?" She looked up at him.  
  
"You look young, and you talk carefree- but inside you're much smarter than you let on."  
  
"My father- smart?" She laughed, and Vincent joined her after a moment.  
  
"Vinni-woony-poo?" They both heard Lucrecia's song from the cavern that was used as a kitchen, "Gabloogy-woogy-woo?"  
  
Vincent gave Katai a slightly apologetic look mixed with embarrassment,  
  
"It is my turn to wash the dishes." He explained and left towards the kitchen with a, "I am coming, love."  
  
Vincent went in and Lucrecia came out. She stood some distance away from Katai and looked her over.  
  
Katai, to be frank, was somewhat scared of Lucrecia. Apart from being stunningly beautiful, she was also surprisingly unpredictable. One moment she could be making no-sense whatsoever, and the next she was remarking something smart or other.  
  
Well, she remarked something that made no-sense whatsoever, and Vincent would translate it to something that was actually intelligible. Katai did not have a clue how to deal with her.  
  
Sure, she admired her- she was, literally as well as figuratively, the mother of all the Jenova related researches.  
  
Katai, in a rare moment of profound realization, got to the conclusion that Lucrecia had to be insane all along. She had to be insane in order to almost kill the man she loved and give her only son for experimentation. Maybe she snapped because of the Jenova project, maybe even born insane, or maybe it was something in the fall of Sephiroth and Jenova- either way, she had to have had some insanity in her to do what she had done.  
  
Katai thought it was beautiful that Vincent loved her still, though.  
  
"Would you like to see pictures of Sethy as a little boyo?" She asked. Katai snapped out of her thoughts with an enthusiastic nod of her head.  
  
Lucrecia started to waddle to a bookcase near one of the walls,  
  
"Only Sethy's future bride is allowed to see these." She smiled wider as she fingered the massive books on a shelf, "Which year do you wanna see?"  
  
Katai blinked in astonishment,  
  
"All those books are photo books of Sether?!"  
  
Lucrecia only nodded,  
  
"One for each year!"  
  
Katai counted that there were only about 18 or 19 of them. They must have stopped this obsessive behavior after the Ryuto incident.  
  
Probably Sether himself didn't allow them to take any more pictures of him.  
  
"I don't mind!" Katai shrugged and deliberately ignored the 'bride' remark.  
  
Lucrecia produced the third volume, then came and sat beside Katai. She opened the massive book so that one side of it leaned on her thigh and the other was on Katai's. They looked inside together.  
  
The first thing Sether heard when he came out of his room was,  
  
"HOW CUTE!!!" The shriek pierced the otherwise tranquil air of the cave. Several birds outside the cave flew off with fright.  
  
He was shocked to discover his own mother showing Katai the photo albums.  
  
"Oh, that's just too precious!"  
  
Sether's jaw fell,  
  
"Mom! You said you'd show those only to the girl who'll be my-Wait a minute!"  
  
He was holding his hands stiffly by his sides and closing his eyes with annoyance as Katai crooned over the pictures.  
  
Cid patted Sether fondly on the back as he, too, joined them on the couch. Even he thought Sether was cute when he was little.  
  
"Oh, lookit!"  
  
Seth-ken, at the age of three or four, mouth open with happiness and holding a butterfly in his slightly cupped hands.  
  
"What a great picture!"  
  
Seth-kun and Ryu-chan dressed as cowboys in the Masque holiday.  
  
"Awww. Now that's cute."  
  
The same butterfly, now on Seth-kun's nose, and he is looking at it cross- eyed with confusion.  
  
"How adorable!"  
  
Seth-kun; just sitting and doing nothing in particular.  
  
"Awwww!"  
  
Seth-kun sitting and doing nothing in particular, but from a different angle and different background.  
  
Sether was turning slightly red.  
  
Then Vincent came out of the kitchen and noticed the gathering. He also noticed Sether stalking towards the book in order to probably take it from the crooning people.  
  
Sether actually really did intend to take it away from them, at least from Katai, when a pair of arms locked his own. From under the armpit to behind the head.  
  
Sether understood the challenge and bent kneeled with a swift movement. This made his arms slip from the hold and he quickly, from this bent position, proceeded to swipe his leg on the floor towards his attacker's feet. Vincent did a marvelous backflip and landed a few feet back, arms raised in a martial arts position.  
  
With a smile plastered on both their faces, they began to exchange blows at a dazzling speed.  
  
The 'aww's and 'oohhh's were paused to view this astonishing fight.  
  
Both of them were amazingly good, and they also knew each other's abilities exactly, and so could fight with incredible confidence.  
  
There were jabs, blows, parries and kicks. There were backflips, summersaults, and cartwheels.  
  
It was a pretty short fight, though.  
  
Sether was faster, younger, stronger and it would seem that he was also the more skilled of the two.  
  
Nonetheless, the fight ended with Sether face down into the ground, and Vincent sitting on his lower back and twisting his son's arm backwards. Sether struggled a little before slamming the ground with his free hand in a gesture that meant in certain martial arts that you yield. Actually, it always ended like that.  
  
Vincent immediately let go of his son, and the later got up painfully.  
  
Katai was impressed- someone who could actually beat Sether! She then remembered that Sether had said that the only person who could defeat Vincent in un-armed combat was her own father. So if her own father was stronger than Vincent, and Vincent could make it look so easy to defeat Sether.!  
  
Both men got panted. Vincent had only woken up from a week or so of coma, and Sether was still slightly wounded and not to mention, ill. He got up from the floor and held a hand to his shoulder, where Katai knew was his stab wound.  
  
"Is everyony okay-e?" Lucrecia pranced happily to the two men and checked them for injuries. They sometimes got a little carried away in their games.  
  
"I see you're not so outta shape as you look." Cid produced a cigarette from his pocket and was about to light it when Vincent took a single Gil from his pocket and flung it like a shurikan at Cid's cigarette. It was knocked clean out of Cid's hand and lodged itself perfectly in the wall of the opposite side.  
  
"Don't smoke in the cave, old man."  
  
Cid and Vincent started one of their arguments again.  
  
"Were they always like that?" Sether asked Shera with a grin. She smiled at him and nodded her head,  
  
"You should have seen the argument about the melting ice-cream cones." Then she added with a sly grin, "These kind of fights can only occur between real friends," Then with a wink, "Or real lovers."  
  
Sether took a step back,  
  
"Dad?!"  
  
"That's not what I meant!" Shera was quick to yell, blushing furiously.  
  
Lucrecia, in the meanwhile, looked at Sether up and down, and then frowned. This worried Sether, since his mom rarely expressed displeasure with anything.  
  
He knew that she was the leading mind in the Jenova research field, and his heart skipped a beat that she might discover what was happening to him.  
  
She then proceeded to poke Sether repeatedly. Each poke was exactly where he got a hit or still had a wound.  
  
Sether flinched at first, but, for the sake of not worrying his parents, attempted to resist the other pokes. The last poke was his wounded shoulder, and he flinched.  
  
"Sethy!" Lucrecia pouted, "Are you okay?"  
  
Sether blinked at her a long moment. He could never lie to his mother. Not in the face and not when she was expressing any other emotion besides happy- go-lucky-ness.  
  
"I. I."  
  
"He's fine." Katai interjected, smiling reassuringly at Lucrecia, "There was this really big Iguana that attacked us and Sether got a little beaten- I checked and he's fine."  
  
Lucrecia nodded happily and returned to the photo album beside Katai.  
  
"What the?!" Katai pointed at one particular picture.  
  
It didn't have Sether, Vincent or Lucrecia in it, and that by itself was strange.  
  
Instead, it had a strange gray cat. It wasn't exactly a cat, but more like a kitten-demon. It was silvery-gray and had human like proportions. It had shimmering, big and innocent red eyes that gave the camera a quizzical look. It seemed, as cat-demons go, to be a very young child. Its limbs seemed slightly out of proportion for it's rather small body, and, surprisingly enough, it also had a dipper with a gray tail sticking out of it.  
  
Sether peeked over Katai's shoulder and said,  
  
"Oh, that's Whatthe."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Whatthe."  
  
"What?"  
  
Sether rolled his eyes,  
  
"Whatthe, my first limit brake."  
  
"What the?" Katai blinked at Sether.  
  
"It's a cat-demon-thingie." He mumbled, scratching the back of his head with embarrassment.  
  
"You had your first limit brake at the age of three?!" Katai was still staring at him.  
  
He seemed embarrassed to think of it.  
  
"It's much more impressive now, that I'm older."  
  
"Why did you transform to it at the age of three? What kind of death defying-"  
  
"Mikado pulled my hair." Sether mumbled in a petty tone.  
  
Katai rubbed her temples,  
  
"You wanna tell me," She said slowly, "That you went Limit Brake because a kid pulled your hair?!"  
  
"Hey, it hurt!" Sether turned around, his back to her.  
  
Vincent smiled,  
  
"The kindergarten teacher called us, hysterical, saying that our child became a demon." He laughed softly.  
  
Sether did not find this as amusing, "I have sensitive hair, okay?!" He grumbled. 


	22. Sether: Happiness

Happiness  
  
Act 1  
  
This sort of happiness was new to Sether, really.  
  
He was used to being generally content while with his parents. Sure, they had their laughs and crazy moments, but.  
  
This was so different.  
  
Here his parents were so happy! They chatted with the Highwinds and cracked jokes. They drank and ate and told stories of their shared past and separated lives. Usually, if Nanaki would come to visit, Vincent and Lucrecia would talk and have a good time, but Sether would always feel left out. He wasn't even an idea when his Dad and the lion-thing became friends.  
  
Now Katai was there too, and Sether frankly enjoyed being with someone around his own age. He didn't have any friends since Ryuto, and now his heart was aching for some friendship and companionship. Don't get him wrong, though, he was more than happy that he returned Katai to her parents and now could worry about other things. He would maybe miss her a bit here and there, but in a short while, it wouldn't matter anyway.  
  
He had things to do now, and taking care of her wasn't one of them.  
  
Ah, the relief!  
  
The afternoon flew as they enjoyed a simple time with each other, and when the evening came, they had a great meal- curtsey of the combined skills of Shera and Lucrecia.  
  
It was fun and good. Everybody was happy in some way or another, and even Sether managed to forget his heavy dark cloud.  
  
"What coincidence that we shall all be gathered here tonight, don't you agree?" Vincent looked up from his plate after he had finished eating.  
  
They all nodded. To have a great Holy Day meal like this was truly a blessing.  
  
"Mom, dad," Katai looked at them as she asked, "What are you doing here? Why did you come?"  
  
Cid laughed,  
  
"Don't you remember? We always celebrate Holy Day here in the cave- it's them that weren't supposed to be here!"  
  
Katai smiled. To think that the Valentines and the Highwinds missed each other every year for the last two decades or so!  
  
"How did you react to meeting each other?" Sether asked meekly, not looking up from his plate.  
  
Here it was Vincent's turn to laugh,  
  
"I almost killed Cid, that's how! He came into the cavern, and I thought he was a burglur-"  
  
"He almost blew my head straight off!" Vincent and Cid laughed heartedly, though most of the other people in the cave weren't as amused.  
  
1  
  
"How was your journey?" Vincent asked his son. They both were cleaning the kitchen after the meal.  
  
Sether almost dropped the plate he was drying.  
  
"Terrible," He stuttered. "Traveling alone is harder than I thought."  
  
"But you were not alone, were you? You had Katai!"  
  
Sether looked aside,  
  
"I still call that alone."  
  
Vincent then handed Sether the last plate to dry and said gravely,  
  
"Sether, I was very worried when I woke up and Lucrecia told me that you had left to look for those people."  
  
Sether now looked down to the floor.  
  
"I would not want you to risk your life on my account, Sether, even if something worse should have happened to me."  
  
Sether didn't say anything, just looked down to his feet, ashamed.  
  
".But I-" He started, but Vincent placed his healthy hand on his son's shoulder and asked with great concern, "Is everything okay, Sether? You look a bit melancholy since the morning."  
  
Sether narrowed his eyes, trying to suppress tears.  
  
"I." He sniffed once, "I'm sorry I. Couldn't protect you." He sniffed again, and Vincent's expression turned sad and loving,  
  
"Sether."  
  
Sether then wrapped his hands around his father, and hugged him closely,  
  
".I'm so happy you're okay, dad." He sniffed again.  
  
Vincent smiled warmly and held his son.  
  
"You should not blame yourself so easily, Sether. We both fought the best we could."  
  
They drew back. Sether looked at his feet again, finding it hard to look at his father,  
  
"I was afraid you would never wake up." He whispered.  
  
Vincent placed his hands on his hips and imitated Cid's confident stance,  
  
"Would I leave you and you mother so easily? Not a chance! It would take a lot more than a measly Mako poisoning to get to me." He smiled wider when Sether raised his head and met his eyes.  
  
"You'll be okay no matter what, right, dad?" Sether asked with hopeful eyes.  
  
"Of course!" Vincent threw his hands in the air with an extravagant expression, and Sether smiled wider.  
  
".I also had some help. getting well again." Vincent said after a short moment of silence, and surprised Sether. "I did not, and probably could not, find the way back on my own." This was Vincent's turn to look away. ".Sephiroth. told me how to get well again."  
  
Sether was shocked.  
  
"I know it sounds crazy," Vincent seemed rather embarrassed, "But it is true. He guided me and told me how much I meant to you. To your mother."  
  
Sether just had to smile and shake his head with disbelief.  
  
"I bet he managed to get at least one 'the time is now' somewhere in there." He chuckled, and Vincent blinked with astonishment,  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
2 Act 2  
  
It was already late at night when they turned in. Sether was forced to sleep on the couch in the main hall, since there were only three rooms, and Katai had to sleep somewhere.  
  
Sether protested, but nobody really took him seriously. It didn't bother him, really, he just didn't want her messing his books.  
  
He thought perhaps he should write a will or something. Nah; who would want his stuff anyway? His soul possessions were his books, and a great majority of them were in Wutain. His parents would figure out what to do with them.  
  
He took the blankets and sheets his mother had left him and started to tidy the couch.  
  
Katai should stay in his room, he figured. After all, she didn't have her own anymore.  
  
He couldn't think what would he do if all his room was destroyed! It was a horrible thought.  
  
He wondered if he would ever see his room again.  
  
He didn't want to die, damnit!  
  
Damnit.  
  
Damnit.  
  
He wanted. To live so badly.  
  
He sighed heavily.  
  
Now where was that damn pillow?  
  
He looked around a few moments before spotting it behind him on the table. He picked it up angrily.  
  
His gaze froze on the world map.  
  
He looked at it.  
  
He looked at it some more.  
  
Katai's explanations ran through his mind for some reason and he could not stop looking at the map.  
  
".coming from the sea near Gongaga. Cosmo Canyon. near Nibelheim."  
  
".Rocket City! For those of you who just tuned in, we are standing beside what remains of the Captain's house!."  
  
Sether eyes widened with mild hysteria.  
  
That. That's not possible!!  
  
It can't.  
  
Sether's shoulders sagged as he shook his head and brought a hand to his face.  
  
In the darkness of the cave around him, he broke down and began to sob into the pillow, muffling himself in its soft depths.  
  
It just wasn't fair.  
  
3  
  
4 Act 3  
  
Katai burst into the main hall with enthusiasm. It was an hour or so before dawn, and she just couldn't stay in bed after she figured something out.  
  
"Seth!" She exclaimed, looking for him in the bed and surprised to see him up.  
  
"Seth!" She repeated, prancing happily to his side, "You wouldn't believe what I found! If you stay here in the cavern for a while- since it's a holy place- you won't die! You can be okay!" She kept her voice low as to not wake the parents.  
  
Sether twitched slightly with her words and then gave her a cold look.  
  
"Do not say that to me now." His tone was icy.  
  
Only then did it sink in what Sether was doing.  
  
He was packing.  
  
"Where. Where are you planning to go?" Katai gave him a strange look, "You can be okay if you just stay here! After a while your Jenova cells would just fall back to their 'sleep' state! Sether, Didn't you hear what I just said?"  
  
He kept packing his stuff.  
  
"I heard what you said, I am just ignoring it."  
  
She stared at him, and he pointed at the map,  
  
"It is after me."  
  
"What? Who is?"  
  
"Weapon."  
  
Katai started laughing and gagged herself quickly,  
  
"Are you insane?!" She was very inclined to believe so right now.  
  
"Look," He grabbed the tablecloth and held it in front of her face, irritation plane on his, "It followed the exact same path I took when I looked for someone to join me, see?" He pointed the path as Katai had done yesterday, "It is following my trail! As well as stomping on your house." He then threw it back on the table and returned to his packing.  
  
"What are you planning to do then, baka?" Katai placed her hands on her hips, "Go meet it? What for? There's no way you can kill it alone! And it might not even be after you! The scientists said-"  
  
"I have to check. And if it is really after me, I have to stop it from reaching Corel; hundreds might die."  
  
Katai rolled her eyes,  
  
"Really! You're totally paranoid! And let's say, if, and this is a huge 'if', it's really after you and it's heading to Corel; they would evacua." She trailed off, and Sether gave her a look, noticing she had reached the realization,  
  
".They wouldn't evacuate because of the mountains.!" She finished instead.  
  
Indeed, the reporter said they are going to leave Weapon alone since it went to the mountains, and the newsgroup wasn't equipped to go there.  
  
She stared nothing a long moment, doing all the math.  
  
"^&@#$." She mumbled and started towards Sether's room, "I gotta go get my stuff!"  
  
At that remark, Sether swirled around just in time to grab her arm,  
  
"What for?" His voice suggested he knew the answer, but somehow hoped she would surprise him.  
  
"What do you think, baka?! I'm coming with you!" Sether yanked her toward him violently, alarming her with the anger on his face,  
  
"No. You. Are. Not."  
  
She met his murderous glare with defiance,  
  
"I am, and you can't do a thing about it."  
  
He rattled her a little, the anger contorting his face. He wasn't going to get into this again!  
  
"I am going alone, and that is final!"  
  
He let go of her arm and she stuck her tongue at him before leaving for the room again, this time in a normal pace.  
  
Sether sighed again and tried to quell his anger. He was on an edge, and should really control himself better.  
  
He inhaled and exhaled deeply several times.  
  
That worked fine.  
  
At least until Katai came out of the room with her travel gear.  
  
"Didn't you hear what I said?!" He growled at her, all his anger returning.  
  
"I heard what you said, I'm just ignoring it." She gave him a vicious smile and a sinister tone, "Besides, I don't think you really want to leave me here. I have to be sure you get back here in time to get better! Not to mention."  
  
He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, suddenly suspicious. Katai looked at the ceiling with feign innocence,  
  
"Weeeell, if I stayed here. You have such nice parents, and I'd hate to keep secrets from them."  
  
He narrowed his eyes,  
  
"What are you getting at, Kat?"  
  
She then met his look with determination and slight annoyance,  
  
"I'll tell them everything that's happened, and about your illness."  
  
Sether took a step back from pure shock,  
  
"You wouldn't do that to them!"  
  
"No," She corrected him, "I'd do that to you."  
  
He took a step towards her, holding a finger to her face,  
  
"You heartless little-"  
  
"Ahh-ahh." Katai wiggled her finger in a mean kind of way, shaking her head, "You don't want to insult the woman with the sensitive information.!"  
  
Sether withdrew back. He glared at her, and she glared at him.  
  
He could never imagine Katai to have so much evilness in her. She would make a shroud businesswoman. In fact, she's already a shroud businesswoman; after all, she was getting her way.  
  
"Fine." He spat out, turning to pick up his trenchcoat and Store Materia, "But I'm not responsible for you."  
  
She cheered up instantly, then looked at something behind Sether and froze. Sether turned around, expecting to find Sephiroth, and finding only his groggy mother.  
  
"M. Mom!" He looked around frantically, trying to find what to do. He could not hide, even if he wanted, the fact that he was packing to leave.  
  
He could never lie to his mother. Never.  
  
"Sethy! Where are you going?" Her eyes were barely even open. She must have woken up from the noise they were making.  
  
"Miss Valentine!" Katai grabbed Sether's arm and yanked him towards the exit, "I remembered I forgot something at Corel, and Sether insisted on coming with me! We'll be back by the evening! Heheheheheheh. Bye!"  
  
And they bolted to the exit. Lucrecia just mumbled,  
  
"You can take Bobo if you want.!" and went back to sleep. 


	23. Sether: Pain

Pain  
  
Act 1  
  
Bobo was the Valentine family's Black chocobo. It was fast and obedient, and the Valentines liked him well.  
  
Sether and Katai were riding on the animal at full speed, Sether at the reigns and Katai behind him, arms around his stomach.  
  
It was dawn, and they would probably make it to Corel before noon if all goes well.  
  
They reached it in the late afternoon, since, as fate would have, all did not go well.  
  
"You're crazy, you know that?" Katai shouted from the back of the chocobo, trying to overcome the rush of the wind and Bobo's loud thumping.  
  
Sether did not reply.  
  
"You're just planning to go and face Weapon? And then what? You'll die for sure!"  
  
Again, he didn't reply. Katai contorted her face,  
  
"Are you giving the silent treatment?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Katai scoffed and rolled her eyes. She then bent over and tried to peek into Sether's stern face.  
  
He was looking forward with that resolute frown of his, though it was a little deeper than usual. He was probably angry with her.  
  
Again.  
  
"Aww, c'mon Seth!" She tightened her grip around his stomach briefly in an attempt to get a response from him. He stiffened with the gesture, but did not talk to her.  
  
"Okay, okay." Katai admitted at long last, "So what I did was a little dirty."  
  
"A little?!" Sether barked, not looking at her, "A little?? What you did was totally inexcusable."  
  
"Jeesh, sorry." She mumbled. Why was he taking it so seriously? She wasn't really going to do that, doesn't he know? She just wanted to come along.! "You want me to go back or what?"  
  
"I can not let you go back now." He hissed with anger, "I can not trust you enough anymore."  
  
So that was it, was it?  
  
She betrayed his trust?  
  
It sent a pang of guilt through her, and she chewed on her lower lip.  
  
'.You're the only one he trusts.'  
  
Sephiroth said that.  
  
Now, was the trust he had in her gone forever?  
  
Her gloomy thoughts were cut short by a freezing drop on the tip of her nose.  
  
She looked up.  
  
It started raining pretty hard. It was almost as if the skies just cracked open as an egg would, spilling it's contents on the world and not caring if it were to break the yolk.  
  
Sether cursed silently as he urged the bird to go faster.  
  
Within moments, both of them were drenched to the bone. The rain was freezing and the fierce wind only caused the rain to get into the eyes, and the cold to bite hungrily.  
  
Luckily for them, the world was just filled with forests, and they quickly diverted from their path into a nearby jungle-like forest.  
  
Sether would usually prefer to avoid the many clusters of trees he found along the way. He was told many times that monsters in forests were harder than the monsters outside. Training there was obviously better, and the seclusion always seemed inviting, though.  
  
Once they were in the relative dryness of the forest canopy, Sether dismounted and led the chocobo on foot. Katai, not knowing what to do, and frankly, too cold to move, stayed on the bird as they went deeper into the trees.  
  
1 Act 2  
  
Sether was clearly aware that staying in the freezing wind when totally wet was a bad idea. The rain not only managed to dampen him through and through, but also miraculously managed to dampen his already gloomy spirit. He had things to do! Now was not the time for silly things like weather to act up. He was very, very annoyed.  
  
He tugged the reigns as the bird was reluctant to go further.  
  
Was there something up ahead?  
  
Katai sneezed, and he continued on nonetheless. There had to be a cave or a shelter nearby, there had to be!  
  
He trudged on, pulling the reluctant animal after him and trying not to slip on the wet forest ground.  
  
He was used to forests being a very useful cover from rain, but the storm now was so powerful, even the forest canopy could not withstand it.  
  
After but a few moments he thought he saw something curiously gray amidst the trees. He hastened his pace towards it and was mighty surprised to discover an old building.  
  
"It's huge!" Katai exclaimed, still not getting off Bobo. The bird warked with concern.  
  
It looked like an old castle, but Sether presumed it was something from the Shinra days. Its condition was bad, but not bad enough to be ancient. As Katai had pointed out; it was very big. Everything above the first floor was ruined, but the ground floor seemed to be totally usable. It also gave off an 'inhabited' air, so Sether approached slowly and was sure to knock on the heavy wooden door before anything else.  
  
After a few seconds, the door opened.  
  
Sether's eyes widened.  
  
The pair of eyes under the black hood of the Sephiroth's clan robes widened as well.  
  
He just walked into the Sephiroth clan's base!  
  
"Run!" He shouted, Bobo warked in alarm and started running away.  
  
Sether was close behind.  
  
He heard shouts after them, and cursed the dreadful mistake he had just done.  
  
"Holy!" Katai shouted, looking sideways at Sether. He was running at the same speed as the chocobo.  
  
The Sephiroth clan knew the territory, and Sether didn't have a clue.  
  
They were speeding towards an unknown direction, just following the chocobo's instincts. Sether did not mount the bird because he knew it would only slow it down, and as long as he could run at the same speed, that's what he'll do.  
  
He hated running away. Hated it with passion. But what he hated even more was a bunch of totally insane people thinking he was Sephiroth and chasing after him.  
  
He didn't want to know what they would do to him, especially when he was not Sephiroth. Where was his brother anyway?! He hadn't seen him in several days.! He hoped that everything was okay with him, and hoped that his dead brother might show up and help. Probably not a good idea for Sephiroth to appear near the Sephiroth clan. Nevermind, then.  
  
They were just running pointlessly around, and Sether suspected they were running in circles. Chocobos, while known for their care and love to their masters, were not renowned for their intelligence or sense of direction. That last bit was proven to Sether when they reached a clearing in the forest. It was a bald spot where the rain pounded fiercely on the ground.  
  
It was the wrong place to reach. If so, even worse than knocking on the castle's doors.  
  
Sether skidded to a halt.  
  
Now they stumbled right into a gathering of the people in black robes. They were in the middle of some ceremony, and were annoyed that someone had just disturbed them.  
  
As if things weren't bad as-is.  
  
All eyes turned to the intruders, and Sether found himself staring right into a bemused pair of violet eyes.  
  
"Don't look back!!" He shouted before grabbing the reigns and wrenching them so the bird would turn and then smacked the bird's tail feathers. This caused the bird to start running again at an amazing speed. Katai just yelped and tried not to fall from the bird.  
  
Sether started running after them when his head blew up and he fell to his knees with agony.  
  
His head was still in one piece, though, he could feel it as his hands lashed up to grab the sides of it. At least in one piece from the outside.  
  
Inside, the pain was incredible.  
  
He clutched his head and grit his teeth. This was no time for an attack! Especially not the strongest one yet!  
  
"Warn Corel!" He managed to shout, hoping Katai will hear him.  
  
He thought he heard her voice yelling something before everything turned black.  
  
The owner of the violet eyes smiled.  
  
2 Act 3  
  
He felt arms grabbing and carrying him, but could not do a thing about it. His head hurt so much that he couldn't do anything, anything at all, but feel.  
  
Thinking was too painful.  
  
He woke up and didn't feel a lot better.  
  
Even before he opened his eyes, his body told him what was the situation:  
  
He couldn't move his arms; he was tied to the wall, both arms spread.  
  
His legs were free, but they felt too heavy to lift.  
  
His head was pounding from the attack.  
  
He was also sweating slightly and having trouble breathing: he was in a small room.  
  
He opened his eyes to see that everything was as he thought it would be. The only good thing was a small window on the left wall. Dim light came in from outside. Rain was still pouring outside and Sether gathered that he must have been out for an hour.  
  
He looked around.  
  
He was tied to the wall in a crucified position, two metal hoops held him down, attached to the wall behind him. By the stony look of the wall, he must be inside the castle they had seen earlier. The room had four bare walls, and couldn't have been much bigger than 10 feet across. The ceiling was low, and the floor was stony and dark. There were no light sources in the room save the small window with its old shutters open, as well as no other visible air source. Just what Sether loved most; no air, no light and no room.  
  
He felt so stupid! He actually knocked on the door of the Sephiroth clan! Holy, how was he to know?!  
  
He bowed his head in shame. Katai shouldn't be far from Corel by now. He wondered if she would ask for help in Corel and come to rescue him. The cruel version of his lopsided grin twisted his lips.  
  
Here he was, a damsel in distress captured by the evil people and waiting for his knight on a black chocobo.  
  
A bitter chuckle.  
  
The door opened a few moments later, and Sether's head snapped up. He instantly wore his most defiant frown and hid all expressions of discomfort and despair.  
  
The person in the black robes who had just entered looked at Sether thoughtfully for a long moment while Sether looked at him with annoyance.  
  
The person took off his hood to reveal the slander face of their leader. His grass-green hair was unkept and bounced in messy strands.  
  
"Hello there." He smiled politely. His eyes were narrow, and had a vicious glint in them, but they somehow managed to look kind in a way, as well as dreadfully tired.  
  
Sether said nothing, and followed the man with his eyes as he approached him.  
  
He studied Sether's face a long moment before sighing,  
  
"Am I correct to assume that you are not Sephiroth?"  
  
Sether still did not say anything. He glared at the leader, though his eyes darted ever so often to the window. He needed his sanity right now and thinking about open spaces and light was the only thing he could do to keep it with him.  
  
The leader widened his smile. He seemed relieved,  
  
"Thank goodness," He said, "I wouldn't know what to do with you if you were Sephiroth."  
  
Sether couldn't help but raise his brows at this.  
  
The evil glint was gone from the leader's eyes and he started laughing,  
  
"I am here for the power of leadership." He said, leaning on the bare wall under the window to Sether's left and smiling, "I am not one to be fooled by the false promises of the Sephiroth clan."  
  
Sether blinked at him in confusion,  
  
"You do not believe in what you preach?"  
  
"Nay." The man said, then smiled at Sether again, "I go by the name of Luchian. You?"  
  
Sether hesitated. He wasn't Sephiroth, and he didn't have any plans of becoming him. What danger was there in telling this man his name? He thought about it and could not reach any definite danger that might come with it.  
  
"My name is Sether." He said.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Luchian extended his hand to Sether, and received an angry glare. He laughed again, "My apologies.!"  
  
".Will you let me go, now that you know that I am not Sephiroth?"  
  
Luchian frowned, "I wish it were that simple. You see, I am the leader of the Sephiroth clan, and you, my friend, look just like him."  
  
Sether listened and said nothing. His eyes continued to be drawn to the window. Luchian inhaled and paced around the room. He explained,  
  
"You see, I never really liked Sephiroth to begin with." He glanced at the door, as if trying to see that no one was listening.  
  
"I don't believe in this 'Coming' nonsense one bit. But I get to be in charge of a lot of people who zealously believe in me, and I get to kill as much as I want." He smiled at Sether's scowl apologetically. "The Sephiroth clan was the perfect place for me."  
  
He showed Sether his left hand, on which the number two was tattooed.  
  
"I am now their leader, and therefore must provide them with reasons to believe in Sephiroth's coming, and in me." He watched as Sether dislodged his eyes from the window and looked back at him. "Sephiroth was number one, and I am number two. That's the way it goes around here. My second is actually the third and so forth."  
  
Sether swallowed hard. He was having trouble following the man's explanations because he was busy with trying to keep his brains from falling apart in more than one way. He knew that his position was bad; he couldn't think straight and couldn't even listen to what people told him. Not to mention that it was plainly obvious that he was suffering by his ragged breaths and sweat beads.  
  
The leader looked at him thoughtfully again before continuing,  
  
"I guess I have two options. I could kill you ceremoniously as an imposter, or I could release you when nobody's looking and say that you were a mirage that foretells the Coming is near or some babble such as that."  
  
Sether frowned deeper. He had seen enough movies to know what Luchian will decide. It was never easy, was it?  
  
"I presume I shall let you go."  
  
Sether stared at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
The leader smiled,  
  
"You see," He said, "If I try to kill you, you might resist." His smile turned apologetic again, "You look like I should not want to see you resisting."  
  
Sether actually smiled at this. And Luchian approached the dumbfound Sether and produced the key for the restraints. He was about to free Sether's left hand when a dagger flew and lodged itself inches from Luchian's finger, namely, in the middle of Sether's left palm.  
  
He clenched his teeth and muffled the cry of pain.  
  
Luchian turned around in utter surprise. His second, the woman with the shining violet eyes stood there with an aura of murder about her.  
  
"What on Planet are you saying?!" She screamed with fury and entered the room.  
  
Sether sagged in his restraints. It wasn't the pain alone that got to him; he was this close to solving things peacefully.  
  
Blood dripped from his palm. 


	24. Sether: Cut

Cut  
  
Act 1  
  
"Saki! How long were you standing there?" Luchian was alarmed. The purple- eyed woman was standing in the dim doorway, a furious look in her eyes. Sether could not make out her face.  
  
"Long enough!" She shrieked, "How can you even dream of releasing him?!"  
  
Luchain frowned deeply,  
  
"I saw no good reason to kill someone I do not know." He said with a shrug, "Takes out all the fun."  
  
Saki was shaking with rage, "You know why I joined the Sephiroth clan, don't you?" She hissed. He nodded gravely,  
  
"For revenge, if I am not mistaken."  
  
"I want that man dead!" She pointed an accusing finger at Sether, who blinked with confusion. Was her revenge upon Sephiroth or him? What did he ever do to.  
  
On second thought, she looked a little familiar.  
  
Damnit, who was she? What did he ever do to her?  
  
The two were still arguing.  
  
"I will not be taking orders from you, number 3!" Luchian straightened menacingly.  
  
Saki lowered her head, but her fists were clenched. Then, with lightning speed, her hand swiped at the leader's stomach, he winced once.  
  
Sether's eyes widened. She had cut his stomach with a hidden dagger, and Luchian crumbled to a heap, most likely never to rise again.  
  
She stepped up to Sether, her face deep in the shadows of the hood. He glared at her.  
  
"Now." She hissed in a whisper, "I can do with you what I please."  
  
A shiver went down Sether's spine at the voice. It, too, sounded a little familiar, and it didn't sound like the voice the woman should have had, or the one she had seconds ago. It had the quality of dry paper one moment, and a certain youthful zealously in the next.  
  
Something was horribly wrong here.  
  
Sether's breaths were becoming harder, and sweat trickled down his face.  
  
He needed air. Light.  
  
Damnit.  
  
She called some servants, and they took the leader's body away. They seemed very alarmed that he was dead, but knew better than to ask questions.  
  
Saki looked at Sether shortly before leaving after the servants, barking orders at them.  
  
Sether was left alone in the room.  
  
The rain outside stopped.  
  
His head was hung low.  
  
What was he going to do now.?  
  
He tried to tug at the restraints a little, and it only sent streaks of pain through his wounded shoulder and his newly wounded hand.  
  
He wanted to cry again. How pathetic.  
  
His life was becoming unbearable. Well, he cheered himself, it won't be so terrible soon.  
  
.But he didn't want to die.  
  
He raised his head to the single window, his eyes longing and infinitely sad.  
  
1  
  
Saki returned a short while afterwards,  
  
"Now, Sether, we can proceed with the ceremonial sacrifice."  
  
Sether looked away, pretending to nonchalantly look out the window when in fact it was the only thing keeping him together,  
  
"I. Might resist."  
  
She gave the impression of smiling, though Sether could not tell, "I don't think you will."  
  
Sether eyed her,  
  
"I said I might." Meteor, he didn't have a single card up his sleeve against this but his strength. He hoped dearly that he would have a chance to use it.  
  
On the other hand, they didn't really have anything on him, either.  
  
"Your lady friend." Saki said, as if reading his thoughts, "I don't think she'll be so happy if you'd try anything."  
  
Sether twitched,  
  
"She is not here." He hissed. She ran away. She wasn't here. She wasn't here. She wasn't here.  
  
They're bluffing.  
  
They must be.  
  
Saki looked at the window, eyeing it as Sether did before,  
  
"She's got spirit, that Katai."  
  
Sether twitched again.  
  
.How else would they know her name?  
  
Damnit!  
  
"So I advise you to." She stepped to the window and quite deliberately closed the shutters. ".Behave."  
  
Sether inhaled sharply and closed his eyes tightly. He couldn't loose it now! If there was a chance they caught Katai.! He had to stay focused! He opened his feverish eyes and glared at Saki.  
  
A single ray of light passed through the old wooden shutters. It fell on the floor just a step in front of Saki as she returned to the center of the room.  
  
Sether could hardly breath, hardly think.  
  
".If you so much as touch a hair on her head I'll-" He whispered. Saki interrupted,  
  
"Like this?" She produced from her pocket something and held it to Sether. The single ray of light illuminated it, and Sether gaped.  
  
It was a ponytail of blond hair. So blond it looked golden.  
  
It looked soft and sad.  
  
Katai's hair.  
  
She was here.  
  
And it made him laugh.  
  
He lost it.  
  
2  
  
3 Act 2  
  
The whole place was shaking. Pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling. The floor convulsed and the walls gave the impression that each was trying to run away to a different direction and the ceiling be damned.  
  
Sether was laughing.  
  
His shoulders shook as the sound came out of his throat. Saki stared at him, totally frozen to her spot with terror.  
  
He was laughing.  
  
It was the most frightening sound a human could hear. It was worse than the feeling you have when a very deep bass goes through your stomach, and it was worse than the feeling you might have when you're up in a hurricane, flying uncontrollably and knowing that you're probably going to be killed.  
  
Saying that it felt like your flesh was crawling would be a mistake, since it wasn't really just a feeling. Sether's laughter made your molecules rearrange themselves in ways you'd prefer they wouldn't. The old wooden shutters couldn't handle the stress and disintegrated into wooden dust. The heavy door of the room groaned and bent in unearthly ways.  
  
But if his laughter didn't have all these unsettling side effects, his laughter was very pretty, if somewhat on the evil side.  
  
With a last bark of laughter, Sether tore his hands from the wall, tearing the bricks that held his restraints out of their place. They crashed besides him on the floor.  
  
Sether landed gracefully on his feet in a hunched posture; arms hung in front of him. He straightened and gave Saki a smile. It was the sort of smile a cat would have in a room filled with legless mice.  
  
His eyes were slits.  
  
4 Act 3  
  
Saki turned around and ran away as fast as she could, screaming to the other followers to go in and stop Sether.  
  
But nothing could. Nothing could even reach him. His movements were way past human, both in strength and in precision. Those who managed to overcome their fear and attack him were dead before they managed to so much as scratch him.  
  
Katai felt the whole building shake violently. If she had a doorway or a table, she would go for them, but since her small prison cell was made of some vertical metal bars, she huddle in the middle of the room and shivered. After a short while, the tremors stopped. There was a brief silence.  
  
Her cell was in a room much like the one Sether was previously in, only instead of holding her to the wall; the room was split in half with bars. Some of the bars were framed, and thus were used for a door. To get in or out, one had to go through two doors; one of the room, and the other of the cell.  
  
Then Katai started hearing screams. She also heard them getting closer and closer. She cowered to the corner of her cell and tried to suppress her tears. She didn't even have any place to escape to! What was going on out there?!  
  
.She wanted her hair back.  
  
When she tried to escape her chocobo was cornered and she was forcefully pulled off it. It managed to escape, and Katai managed to kick a few of them in where it counted before four of them succeeded in bringing the raging Katai down.  
  
After a moment of this she heard the guard behind the door to the cell scream in utter terror before stopping too quickly for Katai's comfort.  
  
Then a fist went clear through the door.  
  
Katai yelped and huddled tighter against the wall.  
  
The door fell forward, and a figure came in. Katai stared in fright as it stood in the doorway and looked around.  
  
Sether's fists were dripping blood, with a dagger clear through one half clenched hand. He didn't seem to notice it. His eyes glowed eerily and Katai screamed in spite of herself when their gazes met.  
  
Cat-like slits.  
  
He smiled at her, and she screamed again. It wasn't Sether's smile. The smile he had now made his teeth resemble fangs, and his whole angular face to look even sharper.  
  
He took a few aggressive steps toward the cell and ripped two bars out without effort.  
  
Then he was standing above the frightened Katai. She knew it was Sether, but it didn't look like he knew who he was anymore. His eyes were the stark contrast of his usual self; his were sad, gentle and sometimes cold. These were mad, passionate and hungry. Katai didn't like the way he was looking at her.  
  
With one swoop, Sether, or as Katai assumed, Sether's limit brake; Desire, picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. He didn't try to hold her there or anything, he didn't even seem to be aware that she was a living thing. She gathered something inside Desire still had some say about what to kill and what not, and so he took her with him.  
  
He took a few steps back before running straight into the nearby wall. Katai screamed and covered her head with her hands when he blew the wall into tiny pieces and started running.  
  
He ran for hours. 


	25. Sether: Stop

Stop  
  
Act 1  
  
He opened his eyes to see a cloudy sky. He was cold and in considerable pain. It was nothing new lately.  
  
He looked around; Katai was laying with her back to him a few feet away, and he was just sprawled on the wet grass for no apparent reason. His whole body was hurting again.  
  
Slowly, he began recalling his name and his language.  
  
".Damnit." He said, gingerly bringing a hand to his face. Katai gave a start, sat up and turned around. She was holding a large stick and was pretty much ready to beat Sether with it. When he gave her a perplexed look, she noticed he was back to himself. He was looking at her from the grass as she was sitting near his head. She dropped the stick to the grass and looked at him with worry.  
  
"Are you okay.?"  
  
Sether smiled his own sad smile,  
  
"No, but I'm more or less sane again. I hope I didn't do anything too horrible. this time."  
  
Katai frowned at him,  
  
"You probably pounded to death half of the Sephiroth clan with your bare hands, with the amount of blood you had on them."  
  
He lifted his hands to discover both of them bandaged.  
  
"I remember the dagger," he said, gingerly touching his left palm and twitching his fingers to see if they still worked, "What happened to my other hand?"  
  
Katai managed to frown even deeper,  
  
"Anyone will be in pain if they punch through people, doors and walls."  
  
He sighed and let his hands drop.  
  
There was a long moment of silence between them.  
  
Katai said,  
  
"Tell me one thing, Seth."  
  
He looked up at her curiously.  
  
"At what point things got from bad to worse?"  
  
Sether thought about this a moment,  
  
"I think. about the time I was born."  
  
They both chuckled at this and then Sether got up. He turned to Katai and noticed her hair.  
  
It was about chin length now, and curved onto her cheeks. It was pretty messy, with longer strands bouncing off in awkward directions. It also made her look incredibly cute, Sether had to admit. It made her lot a lot less stuck-up, and a lot... cuter.  
  
Without thought, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. Katai gave another start, but he didn't notice. His thumb played with some strands of her hair. She blinked at him with complete shock. His face expressed some gentle thoughtfulness Katai only rarely saw on it.  
  
His hand was so warm and big, and the unexpected gesture made Katai blush furiously.  
  
After a short while Sether noticed what he was doing and quickly withdrew his hand, blushing slightly and looking away. He coughed uncomfortably and mumbled,  
  
".It. It suits you."  
  
She was still blinking at him, and he looked further away. ".You don't look like a boy. I'm sorry."  
  
She blinked at him a few more times before remembering his long forgotten remark that if she cut her hair short she'll look like a man. She laughed, and Sether looked at her, wondering how could the same person look so totally different with such a small change.  
  
She suddenly became beautiful, and Sether wasn't prepared for that.  
  
1 Act 2  
  
"How the Meteor am I going to reach Corel quickly now?!" Sether placed one hand on his forehead, worried. Katai pointed east with a slightly annoyed look.  
  
Corel was there, just an hour walk away.  
  
"Oh." Sether said. Apparently he ran all the distance there as Desire.  
  
He started towards the city.  
  
"When we reach it," He said, "I want you to go and warn Barrett."  
  
"Huh? Why me?" She walked beside him.  
  
He gave her a look from the corner of his eyes, "Just do it, please."  
  
She nodded and then asked,  
  
"What will you do?"  
  
"I'll go and try to stop Weapon."  
  
Katai scoffed with irritation,  
  
"You don't even know for sure that it's after you!"  
  
He shook his head and hastened his step a little,  
  
"I can feel it." He said darkly.  
  
"You're paranoid, that's what you are."  
  
He ignored her and said,  
  
"Don't mention anything about the Sephiroth clan to Barrett. They're probably after us too."  
  
She sighed heavily,  
  
"You just can't have it easy, can you?"  
  
He didn't reply, just asked,  
  
"Is Bobo okay?"  
  
She smiled at him,  
  
"Yeah, it got away."  
  
Here Sether frowned deeply,  
  
"You shouldn't have come." He said. Katai only rolled her eyes,  
  
"I'm here now."  
  
"You could have gotten killed!"  
  
"But I didn't!"  
  
"The day is young.!" He spat angrily. Why was she insisting on making his life harder? What has he done wrong to deserve having her life in his hands? He said he wouldn't be responsible for her, but who was he kidding? He didn't want anything bad to happen to her.  
  
He did want her with him, despite what he said. He just didn't want her with him here. Just as he wanted to live, but just not in this time and in these circumstances.  
  
"Damnit." He said, and Katai gave him a strange look. He was cursing a lot more lately. The stress was probably getting to him. Or maybe Katai was rubbing off on him.  
  
"Damnit."  
  
Katai sighed heavily. She didn't want Sether to be mad at her, but what could she do?  
  
They reached Corel's outskirts in the early afternoon. The city was still vividly decorated. Sether stopped before entering.  
  
"Huh? Aren't you going in?" Katai looked back upon noticing that he halted. He gave the city a leveled look,  
  
"No. I am heading to the mountains." He turned and started towards the pointed peaks that surrounded Corel, "Warn Barrett." He commanded coldly. Katai placed her hands on her hips. She sure didn't enjoy being told what to do, but something in Sether's voice made it clear that arguing is not advised.  
  
"And how do you want me to persuade him? Magic?"  
  
"You're smart; you'll come up with something."  
  
And he left. Katai waved a fist after him and sent him a farewell curse.  
  
While Katai rushed to the mayor's house in Corel, Sether slowly made his way up the mountain. There were no monsters around, they all probably fled.  
  
Up and up he walked, a turmoil of feelings tearing his gut. Three thoughts especially bothered him; One, a terrible tug at the back of his mind from Weapon. He felt it nearing.  
  
Two, a terrible feeling of dread. He felt like. It was his last day on earth. Like he was going to die. Like he was. Whatever it was, it wasn't fun.  
  
Three, a terrible feeling that he might not ever see his parents again. Or Sephiroth, or. or. Katai.  
  
Somewhere in the back of his mind he was screaming. Screaming for all this to stop, screaming for his parents, for mercy, screaming for his life. But he couldn't listen to that part, couldn't let himself be lured by the part of him that wanted to taste his mother's pancakes once more, that wanted to spar with his father again. The tug from Weapon grew stronger, and he knew that he had a destiny to face, whether he liked it or not.  
  
He didn't like it, didn't like it one bit.  
  
2 Act 3  
  
"Damn you!" Sephiroth shouted in rage. He was in the place with no place in it, beating against a cell made out of will. Jenova smiled at him a sweet smile,  
  
"I can't let you interfere with things to come, my son. I will not allow you help your 'otouto'."  
  
Sephiroth threw his will at the barrier, but it only wavered slightly. Jenova held out a hand and caressed the almost invisible wall,  
  
"I am still just a little more alive that you are, and that makes me stronger than you by just a little. That is what lets me win today."  
  
Sephiroth tried again and again and again to break the wall with his will. He couldn't let this happen!  
  
The barrier wavered. Still, he did not give in. This annoyed her, and she flicked her finger at him and brought him to his knees.  
  
"Remember pain?" She asked, still smiling, "Remember what's it like? I'll let you feel this for eternity, my son. Once my plan is complete, your pain will be even greater."  
  
"Don't. Don't you dare hurt Sether.!!" He managed to yell, holding himself and trying to resist the torture.  
  
She laughed maniacally,  
  
"Hurt him? Me? I'll never!" She passed her hand through her white, long hair, "I don't plan on killing him, I plan on making him my next body!"  
  
Sephiroth stared at her,  
  
".No."  
  
"He will become what you failed to be- the body that will carry me to total domination of this planet! With his superior powers, I'll succeed where I failed with you."  
  
"He'll kill you.! He'll defeat you, you overgrown mass of fungus!"  
  
This seemed to anger her and she sent Sephiroth a new wave of power that made him cry out in pain and fall to the floor in a tight ball.  
  
"He won't be able to kill me," She smiled evilly, "I have made arrangements."  
  
She disappeared, leaving him to wallow in exquisite agony that might never end.  
  
".Sether. I'm. Sorry." 


	26. Sether: Fight

Fight  
  
Act 1  
  
He reached the top of the mountain and was both surprised and disappointed at the view that was revealed.  
  
From atop the mountain peak plateau, he saw Weapon marching straight towards him. Sether sighed and tried to calculate how much time he had.  
  
About. Two hours; the pointy, dense mountain range prevented Weapon from moving with all its speed.  
  
So, Sether thought, it really was after him.  
  
.After him?  
  
Something was wrong.  
  
He could feel the gigantic brain; he could feel its slow processes, its simple motivation.  
  
A. Danger to the planet.  
  
Weapon was created by the Planet to destroy whatever the Planet found dangerous for itself.  
  
So. It was after.  
  
.Jenova?!  
  
Sether swirled around. He blinked with astonishment several times.  
  
"So. You're actually Jenova, Saki?" He tried to say in a social, light tone. The dark robed woman called Saki was standing some feet behind him.  
  
It made sense, really. The Sephiroth Clan were chasing him from the Mako Reactor, so that would mean that Jenova was probably with them from some point, so that would mean that Weapon would follow them, and they were following him.  
  
He wasn't so off in his assumptions.  
  
He didn't like it any better now, though.  
  
The woman with the black robes seemed to be disappointed with being spotted. Still, she closed the distance between her and Sether, standing a few feet from him.  
  
"Join me, my son." She said with a voice dripping honey and seduction.  
  
"I have one mother already, and I am not looking for her replacement at the moment, thanks." He placed his hands on his hips, "So you found yourself a victim after all, eh? Someone who will carry you around?"  
  
She chuckled from the depths of the hood,  
  
"Yes. Yes. But I really would rather it being you." Her voice was softer than silk, and played on Sether's nerves. With that voice, she could have passed as a shy child or the sort of girl that hangs around in the corners of streets, it had both qualities. Sether just wanted her away from him.  
  
"I made it clear before that I will not be taking part in any world domination plan, be it yours or anyone else's."  
  
She took a step towards him.  
  
Saki was about Katai's height, but when she extended her hand with a sort of a begging gesture, her hand was much more delicate than Katai's, if possible.  
  
"But, my son, together we can make this world so perfect.!"  
  
Sether pretended to examine his fingernails with interest,  
  
"Aha." He hummed, then he looked up with keen eyes. He knew not to let his guard down, "Are you finished?"  
  
Jenova sighed, though it seemed she was expecting this,  
  
"I guess I'll have to fight you then, to show you how weak you are!"  
  
Sether immediately changed his pose to martial arts, but it would seem that Saki wanted to talk some more. Sether took off his trenchcoat and tossed it aside. Her last statement struck him,  
  
"Weak?"  
  
"Yes." She said with a nod, "You do not even graze your true potential." The hood turned away, and Sether dropped his battle pose, though not his guard.  
  
"What are you talking about? Potential.?"  
  
The black robes rustled as she moved a few steps away. Her face turned to Sether,  
  
"I was dormant for many years. When you fell into the Mako pit I awoke. I awoke to see the man who was born to carry me."  
  
Sether snorted, but she continued, vexed, "You do not know the powers you posses!" She shouted at him, "You don't use a tenth of your full powers! I can teach you how to be so powerful, that the sun and moon themselves will obey our command! With my guidance and your power-!"  
  
"Shut up!" This was Sether's turn to shout, "Shut up, you overgrown mass of fungus! I don't care a bloody bit about what 'power' you think I have! I'm not interested in becoming a monster!"  
  
"Not a monster, a god!" She briefly frowned at this insult. Was it genetic?  
  
Sether resumed his battle pose; "I guess it's back to the fight idea for you. What do I have to gain with becoming a god?!" He yelled at her, annoyed. She smiled and took a few steps back in his direction. He tensed.  
  
"No more pain." She whispered wistfully, "No more guilt, torment."  
  
Those words! The same he felt that night in the inn.  
  
"I'll never join you."  
  
Why? Because he loved his parents too much for them to loose another son to this monster, because he was afraid for he knew what she said about his powers was true, because he just wanted to be left alone, to live quietly with the one he loved.  
  
"Never!" He shouted.  
  
"Sether!" Katai came running up the hill, Barrett and Marlene a step behind.  
  
She had just heard him yell 'Never!', and was shocked to see Saki from the Sephiroth Clan standing in front of him. He seemed ready to fight, and she didn't seem to find this amusing.  
  
"Katai! Stay back! She's actually Jenova-Ah!" His head exploded again, and he collapsed to one knee.  
  
So she was the one doing it!  
  
"You cannot win against me, my son." Her voice gave the impression she was smiling.  
  
".You're. Wrong!" He got painfully back on to both feet and faced her with an angry expression. He didn't care if it was hard to breath or think, all he needed were his reflexes.  
  
"Jenova.?" Katai gasped. Barrett and his daughter looked at the horizon with worry, seeing Emerald.  
  
They didn't move. The scene smelled of battle, and they were more or less frozen to their place.  
  
"Sether!" Katai saw the pain clear on his face and wanted to rush to his side, but he stopped her with a rising of his hand.  
  
"Don't come. Go back to the city." He said with an icy tone.  
  
Jenova made a chuckling sound,  
  
"You cannot win against me." She repeated. Sether gave her an especially evil version of his lopsided grin. But before he could do anything, she raised her finger and waved it in a 'no' sign,  
  
"No limit breaks, or my wrath will go on the girl and your pretty little head."  
  
Sether twitched,  
  
"Okay." He said carefully, "Then no headaches, or I'll transform into your worst nightmare."  
  
She nodded.  
  
The battleground was ready. The plateau on the peak of the mountain was pretty large, and there was no danger of falling anywhere. It was a simple rocky ground, but without too many large rocks one might trip on. It was gray and brown and dead.  
  
Weapon was making its slow advance towards them.  
  
Barrett, Marlene and Katai could do nothing but watch as the two opponents just stood one in front of the other, daring the other to make the first move.  
  
Saki, or rather, Jenova, was standing simply with arms hanging by her side.  
  
Sether was in a martial arts stance, with arms in front of him and his palms open. Both his hands were still bandaged, and a big red stain decorated his left-hand bandage.  
  
His brows were frowning deeply as sweat beads formed on his brow: He had no idea what kind of attacks Jenova has. She was standing there, giving Sether the faint impression that she was smiling condescendingly at him.  
  
They stood this way a few more moments before Sether broke off towards her with amazing speed.  
  
He was in front of her in a blink, and he punched. Saki moved aside nonchalantly. The movement caused her hood to waver, and Sether's eyes widened.  
  
No!!  
  
In that moment of confusion on his part, she punched him square under the jaw. Sether's head snapped up and he stumbled a few steps back. When he looked at her again, there was a thin trail of blood down his chin from biting his tongue a little, but that wasn't the reason Sether was staring at her with so much disbelief.  
  
"N. No." He took a few more steps back by his own will.  
  
Saki chuckled again,  
  
"Oh, so you saw me? I wanted to keep it as a surprise for later."  
  
She took off her hood.  
  
Katai gasped aloud.  
  
Those red curls, she could recognize them anywhere.  
  
She fell to her knees.  
  
".Sakura-chan."  
  
1 Act 2  
  
Ryuto's little sister.  
  
"How?! .Why?!" Sether stared at her.  
  
"Why?" Jenova asked, then her face twitched slightly and her voice turned into Sakura's, "Because you killed my brother!" Jenova smiled at Sether's reaction.  
  
"Sakura's heart was filled with sadness after her brother's 'demise'. I slipped her a few sweet dreams of revenge, and fuelled the anger that came afterwards. Her giving herself to me was inevitable."  
  
"No!" Sether shook his head, taking a few more steps back, ".No."  
  
Jenova chose that opportunity to attack the torn Sether.  
  
"Seth!" Katai screamed. He snapped out of it and managed to dodge the kick to his head.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" He retreated back. He couldn't attack her. Never. He could never bring himself to raise a fist at her.  
  
A flurry of small, raging fists started, and Sether received them all silently. He wasn't even thinking about the fight, just about his opponent. Sakura-chan.  
  
Because of him.  
  
It's his fault.  
  
Because Ryuto. Because he.  
  
Sakura-chan was now trying to kill him. She hated him. Jenova was using her. Because-  
  
He doubled slightly over as one punch was especially strong.  
  
"Pay attention!" Jenova screamed at him, punching the side of his face powerfully and sending him stumbling back a few more steps.  
  
All he was doing was receiving the blows.  
  
"Attack me, if you want to win." She said with Sakura's voice, making it clear she knew that Sether could not attack.  
  
Sether shook his head weakly, still unable to release his mind from the shock, confusion and disbelief.  
  
He continued to receive her fists silently.  
  
They both had a problem, though. Sakura, even while powered up by Jenova, was not strong enough to cause serious damage, even if her hits connected. Sether, on the other hand, could not bring himself to fight back.  
  
He believed that he deserved all this.  
  
He didn't care for the pain.  
  
.Because of him.  
  
Another of the stronger punches hit him square in the chest, and he stumbled back.  
  
There was nothing to be done. He deserved this punishment.  
  
Then the world disappeared for Sether.  
  
His body screamed, but his soul was screaming harder.  
  
It lasted less than a second before he was back in the real world again.  
  
Katai had rushed into him head first to knock him over, breaking the contact.  
  
What happened was that Jenova, while Sether was preoccupied with his emotional distress, placed her palm on his forehead.  
  
He screamed, and Katai knew that Jenova was trying to take over him.  
  
Sether was panting hard, but his mind finally became clear again. Confused, but clear. .If that's possible.  
  
He had seen, in that split second of contact, the infinite depths of hatred and death that's the fate of those who give in to Jenova. He had seen the worst place to be in, and he could prevent it. Maybe.  
  
He also saw a shred of Sakura-chan. The real Sakura-chan. The one he remembered. She was screaming too. She was in pain inside Jenova, but she was somewhere in there. The person before him wasn't Sakura-chan; it was Jenova.  
  
He had to win.  
  
Somehow.  
  
"Sether!" Katai was shaking his shoulders violently, "You have to fight!" The look on his face spoke volumes. Although he knew it wasn't exactly Sakura-chan he was against, fighting her meant hitting Sakura-chan's body, and possibly killing it, and Sakura-chan with it.  
  
"Is there a way to save her?" Sether got up, helping Katai up as well and noticing that Jenova was watching Katai with venom.  
  
Katai took a few steps back, retreating from the battlefield.  
  
"I'll think of something.!" She said.  
  
While Sether was watching Katai, Janova chose that instant to attack. She wasn't attacking him- her attack was aimed at Katai's head.  
  
Something changed in Sakura's body, and Sether threw himself forward with a surprised shout.  
  
There was a splash of blood.  
  
Sether jumped directly into Janova's path, and received the blow that was intended for Katai.  
  
Jenova growled with anger and withdrew her hand.  
  
It wasn't really a hand anymore. The black cloth of her right sleeve was now torn, and from the elbow down what was once a delicate hand was now a blade. A blade made out of organic matter, but still sharp enough to skew Sether's left shoulder from the back, exactly where his wound was.  
  
The blade had a sort of purple-ish color, and looked like a vicious disease of some sort. It had erratic edges and an uncouth surface, but it was still mighty painful to be hit by.  
  
He dropped to one knee again, holding a hand to his severely bleeding shoulder.  
  
"Why Katai.?" He asked from between clenched teeth.  
  
"She is a traitor." Sakura's voice said, pointing the hand-blade at the scared Katai, "She's with the man who killed my brother. She should want your demise as well."  
  
Katai took a step forward, "You're wrong!" She shouted, waving her hands as she spoke, "Violence isn't the answer! Even if Sether killing Ryuto weren't an accident, which it were, I still wouldn't have wanted him dead. Violence solves nothing! It only brings more pain, more sadness!"  
  
Janova barked an evil laugh.  
  
"Pathetic!"  
  
"No! Sakura! I know you're in there! Please fight this! This isn't how things should be!" Katai took another step forward, "It was an accident!"  
  
"It won't help." Sether said in a cold voice, getting back up, "Sakura's fighting spirit isn't strong enough. She's not a warrior. Jenova's grip is too strong even for a warrior."  
  
.Sephiroth.  
  
Katai stared at Sether. His voice was dead, cold and determined.  
  
"How can it be that someone without Jenova cells can carry her?" He asked, locking stares with the once gentle eyes of Sakura-chan.  
  
"Sh. She can't, really." Katai said, feeling the tension rise and taking a step back, "Her body can't hold on for a long time- it's slowly killing Sakura."  
  
What was it with slow deaths these past few days? Sether hated the amounts of death and blood he had seen lately. More than enough, he decided.  
  
.He'll end it. He didn't want anyone else dying. Not anymore. He was sick of it! Sick, sick, sick! He wanted to be left alone! He still had that glimmer of a chance to survive if he stayed in the cavern. Of course, if Jenova was to be killed, he would be okay again, right?  
  
He just needed to kill Jenova, and then all this will disappear. Weapon will leave, his body will heal. And Sephiroth? He'll have a lifetime to figure out that one.!  
  
He wanted to live!  
  
"Find a solution, Katai." He said, not looking at her, "I'll fight."  
  
He released his battle aura, and Katai was physically blown away a few feet. She landed on her behind near Barrett and Marlene, all this time staring with amazement. The aura sent the smaller rocks flying away, and Jenova had to brace herself when it rushed against her.  
  
She smiled,  
  
"So weak!"  
  
But Katai didn't have time to dawdle! She started racking her mind for a solution.  
  
There had to be something!  
  
2 Act 3  
  
There're few styles of hand-to-hand martial arts that include fighting against a person with a sword when you have none. And if there were styles that were good at it, Sether didn't know them.  
  
He knew how to grab a blade swung at him without loosing a limb. That was about it.  
  
The showdown of stares continued.  
  
"Do you understand that you cannot win? Will you yield and let us become one?"  
  
Sether remained silent.  
  
Does that mean he'll have to.?  
  
"The moment you let your guard down, or you are too weak to fight, I'll take you. You cannot kill me because of this body I posses, and you will eventually tire."  
  
He was surprised that Jenova had stuck to her word and didn't throw any headaches at him. Was she that afraid of his Limit Breaks? Meteor, he was afraid of them.  
  
"Unless you kill me, you cannot destroy me. But you cannot kill me, so the only thing you can do is surrender."  
  
"Wrong." He said, "I have faith in Katai. She is smarter than you are, and she will give me the key to your destruction."  
  
Katai wanted to curse.  
  
"Thanks for not putting any pressure on me, Seth!" She yelled angrily.  
  
"Not if I kill her." Jenova smiled, taking a sideways step to have a better look at her next victim. Sether reached out his right hand and held it in front of him, open,  
  
"Indeed," he said, and surprisingly enough, smiled, "But I won't let you."  
  
He closed his hand on the air; only it wasn't air anymore when his long fingers closed on a black bar with red leather strapped on it.  
  
The bar grew longer, turning into a hilt.  
  
From nothingness, a blade painted itself onto reality from the hilt. The blade grew longer and longer.  
  
It curved viciously.  
  
Sether had summoned the Masamune for the first time since the Ryuto incident.  
  
He gave it a few practice swings, and Jenova stared at him with surprise mixed with fear,  
  
"I don't believe you'd have the guts to fight me with the sword that killed my brother." She growled accusingly.  
  
Sether changed his stance; he was standing straight up, shoulders slightly drawn backwards. This proud stance was intensified as he held the Masamune with both hands horizontally near his head.  
  
There was only one fighting style for the Masamune, as there was only one Masamune.  
  
This was Sether's true weapon, and Jenova knew it.  
  
He was willing to use it again, but this time to protect Katai as best as he could. He wielded no blade better than he did this one sword. His form was near perfection, back then, but he threw the sword away in fear and disgust. Now he needed it's unparalleled powers, and the sword seemed to hold no bad feelings for it's previous treatment. In fact, it seemed to meld with Sether, it seemed an extension of his being, of his battle aura and of his essence. They looked. Right together, like it being the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and now Sether's was complete.  
  
By the time Jenova could react or do anything, either to Katai or to Sether, he lunged at her, sword first.  
  
Katai wanted to watch the fight, wanted to make sure Sether was doing okay, but she had a duty. He trusted her still! She had to come up with something!  
  
And fast, because Sether was only occupying her attention, he had no intention of striking a blow.  
  
Jenova, on the other hand, did.  
  
  
  
What do you think? The ending of the story is pretty soon: only four/five more chapters. You might expect them around the beginning/middle of January. I hope to manage it soon!  
  
(Remember: nothing is more inspiring than a kind word in the right place. ^_^; ) 


	27. Sether: Wings

**Wings**

**Act 1**

They exchanged blows. Sether's agility seemed to have doubled itself only because of the weapon, but that was just because he was totally confident with the use of it.

The Masamune, created eons ago by L. Valentine, was the finest killing blade in the world. No one knew it's creator's full name, but the signature was carved into the base of the blade in ancient runes that few could still read. It was the only decoration on the 5"6' long blade. 

It was the most perfect weapon ever created on Planet. 

It was made to kill whatever stood before you with one swoop. It never needed to _fight_ against anything. It could slice through armor, scales, helmets and even other metallic weapons. The creator took his own life with it just after it's creation, thus sealing forever the bond between the Valentine blood and the majestic weapon.

However, the perfect sword was not meant to be used for fencing, it was never created for exchanging blows for a long time. It was never meant to be wielded in a battle by someone didn't want to kill his opponent.

And so, Sether was having a very hard time. He kept receiving gashed and slashes. Nothing lethal, but each cut made it harder to maintain the speed he needed in order for Jenova's attention to be on him alone.

Her sword was only a little longer than an arm's length, and so, if she came too close to Sether, his much longer sword offered little defense. They closed the distance between each other again and again, each time parting with a clang, and sometimes with a draw of blood.

The Masamune was never built to cut through the strange biological weapon that was Sakura's right hand. Jenova probably learned a lot about the sword's weaknesses while Sephiroth carried her. This was another disadvantage that Sether didn't want to think about, and by doing so, did think about it. 

Not only didn't the Masamune cut the hand-blade, the later also absorbed most of the shock that would have crushed any normal arm.

"I call this blade 'Mavet'." Jenova smiled wickedly after another round, when they both paused a short moment, "In the Ancient's language it means 'death'. And your sword is helpless against it. Let me… _Demonstrate_."

She leapt at Sether, surprising him as she struck in a new angle. He tried to jump back. Jenova's blow went exactly to the Masamune's tip.

Sether cried out through tightly clenched teeth and gripped the handle with both hands.

Barrett blinked,

"What was that?"

Katai was near despair. She could only find one solution, and it wasn't a good one. It was an impossibility. She looked at Sether; closing his eyes hard and gripping the sword with all his might. 

"Vibrations." She breathed, "By hitting the tip of the sword with her own, she caused strong vibrations all across the sword. It must hurt a lot to keep holding it." 

Jenova leapt and slashed at the immobile Sether in this moment of weakness. He managed to dodge the otherwise crippling attack at the price of a deep gash in his leg. He stabilized himself by bringing his sword hand to the ground briefly. His eyes flashed.

His hands screamed with pain. One of the first rules of the warrior is to never let go of his weapon. Jenova was watching him with an evil smile on Sakura's otherwise pretty face. She looked so much like Ryuto sometimes. Sether didn't see her for at least three years…

He snapped out of his brooding- just a little longer, and he hoped Katai would provide him with something. Anything!

"I dare you to try that again. It won't work twice!" There was a mischievous tone to his voice.

"Really?!" Jenova attacked again, angered by his insolence and stubbornness. She came just barely outside the range of the Masamune. No matter how Sether tried to move his sword, hers was slightly faster, and connected with the tip, sending another mighty vibe.

Sether smiled and smacked the tip of the sword into the ground. Sakura's attack left her open, and Sether positioned his sword just below Sakura's chin as it bounced back up.

Any movement and she would have cut her own throat open.

"How did he do that?!" Marlene shouted. She wasn't on Sether's side, but she sure as Meteor wasn't on Jenova's side.

Katai sat down, mentally exhausted. Her only solution was _really_ bad.

"The ground absorbed the vibrations and stabilized the sword, what more, it probably made the metal of the sword bounce slightly, giving Sether some more speed in bringing it back up."

Sether was breathing hard. Jenova stayed still, glaring at Sether with cold eyes.

They both knew that although he had the upper hand, he would not strike the final blow.

Yet.

"Katai." He panted, "Any bright ideas?"

Katai lowered her head in shame, trying to force back tears. This was no time to be weak! "One." She said.

"What is it?"

"If Jenova could be transferred to another body, and then that body would be killed, it will kill Jenova. Finding an expendable body isn't going to be hard." She got up, "I'll do it." She announced.

"Are you insane?!" Barrett grabbed her arm, but she shrugged him off.

"You mustn't give in to the forced of evil!" Marlene cried in alarm.

Sether stared at her a few blinks. He was amazed at this sudden act of bravery. He never imagined this side of Katai. He stared at her a little longer, eyes wide, before barking,

"Moron! That would never work!!" His face contorted with anger.

Katai drew back in surprise, then took a step forward in annoyance,

"It will! We just need to find a way to transfer h-"

"You moron!" Sether barked again, "You're supposed to be smart, aren't you?! If I can't kill _her_, do you think I could ever kill **_you_**, when I l-"

Sether was interrupted. It came in the form of Sakura's blade through his right shoulder.

He tried to stiffen a cry of pain through clenched teeth and he was thrown backwards.

He couldn't allow Katai's sacrifice.

Never.

He skidded to a halt on unsteady feet, holding his left hand to his newly wounded shoulder. After but a few moments his legs gave in and he fell to his knees. His extremities don't like him very much any more, he gathered.

"To me it sounds like a good idea." Jenova said, taking a step towards Katai, "I think it's a marvelous idea. That way I can gain the knowledge inside this head…"

Katai stood her ground bravely, looking Jenova in the eye and trying to give her the meanest, most dirty glare she could muster. Jenova was only a step away from Katai now; her normal hand was extended in order to touch Katai's forehead when she half turned to the fallen Sether.

"Unless, of course, you would like to step in her heroic place." She smiled her vicious smile again, "This woman knows that her will would be crushed instantly when I transfer. And it's not like I need her head like I want Sakura's memories of you… do I? I will destroy her utterly, and then attack you with this body and all it's wisdom.

She took another step and her hand was less than an inch from Katai's head when Katai said,

"Sether. Kill me afterward, okay?" She tried to say it happily, like she didn't care. She smiled and closed her eyes.

She didn't want to die, but she finally understood Sether. She understood how come he could do those things he did when he fights for someone else.

It's because of emotions, and more correctly, the strongest emotion of them all.

"…I understand now."

That was Sether.

Jenova stopped a few strands of hair away from Katai.

"What was that?"

What made Jenova hesitate were not the words as much as the tone. It was the tone she wanted to hear all along.

Defeat.

Act 2 

Sether got to both feet. His head was hung low.

He struck a pretty beaten figure there. Various slashed all over his torso and legs, both of his shoulders were bleeding and one of his legs couldn't support his weight any more.

Both hands were fisted at his side, the right still gripping the Masamune with passion. Blood dripped down both his arms, darkening the dead ground under them when drops of it fell.

"I was a fool." He spat. His tone was infinitely sad and soft, but carried a bitterness in it, "I was living a lie."

Janova smiled and stepped away from Katai and back towards him. Katai herself was shaking all over. Not only because what had almost happened, but also because of Sether's tone.

He mustn't give up…!

"I…" He shook his head, "I understand now. I understand everything. I believed that it was possible for me to lead a normal life in spite being Sephiroth's brother. I thought that my fate could be different."

Jenova was becoming more and more pleased with herself as Sether continued,

"I did all that I could to prevent other people from getting hurt all my life, but it always turned out to just hurt them more." He looked up at Jenova, his expression unreadable, "I wanted to live my life peacefully, believing that I could fulfill my dreams. But I was _wrong_. Even now, Katai was willing to help fix the mess that I caused with her own _life_. I will not allow anyone else to hurt instead of me." His voice cracked, and he looked back down, fighting the turmoil of emotions inside of him. Jenova was slowly walking towards him.

"My life was never mine to begin with… My parents were mistaken as well, to think I would not bring destruction. All I ever did was bring them pain…" His bangs shadowed his eyes, and the ground under him darkened from a single drop of liquid that was not blood.

Katai wanted to say something, but found herself speechless.

Sether looked back at Jenova, this time there was resolve in his eyes,

"I understand now what I must do. It was foolish of me to think that there was any other way… This will be my punishment and penance."

Jenova was only a step away from him, a smug smile on her face,

"I see you finally came to your senses."

"You want me?" Sether hissed, "Take me, then."

Katai started running towards him, but it was too late.

"Sether, _no_~~~_!!!_"

He roared with pain as the contact was made.

Wind raised and whipped violently around the two, stopping Katai in her tracks. Sether's head snapped up with immense pain, and Jenova laughed maniacally, her laugh only half heard over the gale.

With a clap of thunder, it was over. 

The wind settled.

Sakura's body fell to the ground lifelessly, and Sether's body was shaking.

The earth was shaking as well.

Power flowed from within him; so much power the ground beneath him gave in, creating a crater ten feet across. But he wasn't touching the ground anymore.

Katai could do nothing but stare helplessly. Barrett and Marlene found themselves in the same situation.

There was no way to resist the sheer power of will that emitted from what was, only moments before, Sether.

He hung a few inches above the ground. From his back unfolded wings. But they weren't really there. If you looked at him too long, you saw them, but when you blinked, they vanished… Only to appear again. It wasn't only one pair, either, it was hundreds… No, millions of wings…

An infinite amount of them, big and flapping, spread around his figure like a giant halo. But when you blinked, there were actually none at all. Wings that were transperant, but were lines with darkness, more than two but less than three… more than infinity and yet not even one…

He raised a little higher, the wings perhaps carrying him.

Angel-like wings, they were, more than you could ever count, and in the same time, not even one. 

He glowed with power beyond imagination. This was the power unleashed from within him by Jenova. This was his "true potential". This was the world's end.

Sether's forth limit break: **Zero Wing**.

Act 3 

Somewhere inside the pain he still existed. He felt the power. It was in him all along. Locked away with all the terrible things that he feared will happen if he looses control of himself. This power could destroy the world. 

No flashy Materia was needed, no fancy spells or rituals. The mere _will_ that was unleashed now was enough.

His soul was being torn to pieces, and his will could do little against it.

_He didn't want to die!_

If his plan was to succeed, though, his will must give him one second of control.

Jenova was not pleased to discover that he was struggling against her, and tried to fend his will back, tried to close it in a corner of the mind.

He wouldn't let it. Not without a fight.

He swam against the violent currents of emotions and power, struggled for one breath of air, one was all he needed…

Jenova was forcing him down, forcing him back. She was tearing at his very being; two mighty wills struggling for the domination of the same body.

Sether had a plan. He wasn't going to give up! This will make everything okay again… Everyone will be safe if he could just… Just…

Jenova was sending him through pain he could only imagine that existed, but that pain also gave him clarity, it gave him the power he needed to seize the moment of control.

No swords were wielded here, no metal weapons were needed. 

Only the power of the spirit. 

Jenova was ruthless, Sether was relentless.

He did it.

Sether had one second, within the pain and turmoil and Jenova's insane ravaging of his mind, he got _one second_ in which he was himself.

All he wanted to do, in that tiny speck of time, was to make sure that the last thing he'll ever do as himself will be his _last_.

Katai screamed.

Sether blinked and plopped back to the ground on his feet.

He was holding the Masamune.

It was clear through his stomach, all the way up to the hilt.

Katai rushed to him.

He coughed once, surprised at himself. He intended to do it; he didn't intend it to feel so… _pleasant_.

Compared to what Jenova was doing to him, this was bliss.

Jenova herself was screaming, fading out from the back of his mind. He had won, if you could call suicide winning.

"It's… Cold." He uttered with mild surprise. The Masamune felt icy to his grip and cold to his entrails. He felt that chill spreading through him, numbing him softly.

He remembered how Sensai Yuffie always told him that if someone gets stabbed, never to take out the sword: it might kill him.

He took it out with a violent motion, without a sound but with a splatter of blood trailing down his mouth.

He let go of the sword, and it disappeared before reaching the ground.

His hands were smeared with his own blood as he held them to the wound.

It wasn't big, just a slit, but it _was_ done with the Masamune, and when it went through you in sensitive places, you were dead.

"_Sether_! Oh my holy… _Sether_!" Katai reached and grabbed him just he started falling backwards.

His breathing was shallow, but he was still conscious.

"**Sether**!"

"I… heard… you the… first time… you called…" He muttered, looking at her through half closed eyes. His bangs hung sadly in front of his pale face, the silver bang dirty and the black one disheveled.

She couldn't help but say his name again. How could he…

"You're going to be alright!" She said, trying to smile.

"Then… What was the point… of me stabbing… myself? No, I'm dead…"

"_Don't_…!" She shook her head, and a few drops flew from her tear-filled eyes, "Don't die, Sether!"

He looked up at her face.

He was on his back, with her holding his head and putting a hand over his on his stomach. He was lying limply in her embrace, both hands over his stomach and he didn't even feel his legs anymore.

How did he get to this position…? He forgot already…

She was beautiful. Her eyes were so blue… They were blue like the morning when it was summer… Blue like the sea when it was calm… though they looked hysterical right now. How come he never noticed it before?

Sether also never noticed that one of the lens' of her glasses was cracked. When did that happen?

"…Why not?" He asked in a whisper, "…Jenova will… die with me."

Katai could feel his life slipping through her fingers.

"Because…!" What could she say? "Because… People need you here…! Please, Sether…!"

He smiled at her one last time. It wasn't the answer he was hoping for, now was it?

Sether then reached up with one weak hand and caressed her cheek, thumbing the stray strands of her once luxurious hair. She didn't mind his blood on her cheek.

"I'm… Sorry." He breathed, "I made you… cry again…" He took in another ragged breath before saying, "…How I wanted… to make… you laugh…"

Devoid of strength, his hand landed beside him and he closed his eyes lightly.

It was 5:09 in the afternoon when Sether died.

________________________________________

All I can say is: Don't worry! 


	28. Sether: Death!

**Death!**

Act 1 

But it wasn't over yet.

Weapon stopped. It looked left and it looked right.

Then it gave the impression of sighing in annoyance.

The thing that was calling him on was gone now, and he simply turned around and headed towards the nearest shore. It missed the sea and was grateful for the opportunity to return to it.

Thus Corel avoided destruction.

In Lucrecia's cavern, Lucrecia stopped talking and just stared ahead a short moment before bursting out into a terrible crying fit.

Vincent was beside her in a blink, distressed at this. She told him that their son was dead.

He could do nothing but stare at his love in alarm.

Soft rain started falling; the sky was crying along with Katai.

She was hugging Sether's lifeless body tightly, weeping uncontrollably into his chest.

"…Come back…" She sobbed pitifully, "Come back, Sether…"

Sakura got up, looking around in confusion before noticing Katai and recalling everything. She glanced once at her right hand, discovering that there was nothing there anymore, not even her old arm. But she paid it no heed and came beside Katai. She sat down across from her on the wet ground.

One of Sether's hands laid open by his side, the other on his stomach, on top of his mortal wound. Katai's hand was placed lightly on that hand, her fingers twitching slightly as her mind tried to cope with the size of the loss.

"…I'm sorry." Sakura said, looking down, distressed and ashamed. Her pretty features were wan and sad.

Katai lifted her head and gave Sakura a fierce slap across the face.

"Don't you dare say that." She growled, glaring at Sakura with blood-shot eyes, "Don't you dare say anything like that ever again. If you're sorry, _than what was the point of him dying_?!"

Sakura lowered her head again.

"I wanted revenge… But…"

Katai still held Sether's limp body as she said,

"Be happy Sakura. Be happy for the rest of your life; every moment of it and every bit. Because Sether could never be."

Sakura's shoulders sagged, and Katai continued,

"You got what you wanted- he's dead!" She had to pause to fight back her tears, "He's dead… He'll never get another chance to be happy, and neither shall I."

Here the younger woman looked at Katai with surprise.

"You killed me too." She accused, looking away, "I, too, will never be happy again. So, Sakura, you must be happy if you caused all this intentionally."

"…I…"

"Now… I'll never know…" she looked at his face with infinite tenderness in her eyes, talking to herself more than anyone else and letting her tears flow. His expression was tired and full of regret. Blood and filth were smeared on his face, and the rain wasn't helping. Katai mournfully licked her already wet thumb and cleaned some of the dirt away. She didn't seem to notice herself doing that. "…I'll never know everything there is to know about him…" She sighed. The tears kept falling. They dropped unnoticed onto his face, and no one could tell them apart from the rain. "I'll never know what were his dreams… I'll never know all that was hidden, all that was unseen in those eyes of his…" She will never see his eyes open… And could probably never look into his father's either… "…Why he smiled when he did… why he was sad… I'll never know!" her suddenly murderous glare snapped back to Sakura, "Violence never solves anything! It just brings more pain!! You killed more than one person, not to mention his parents…" She started sobbing again, thinking of the kind Valentines.

Barrett and Marlene came and stood beside Katai.

"You should let him go now…" Barrett said. There was compassion in his voice.

"…No." Katai whispered with a shake of her head.

"We will give him a proper burial… As fit for a hero." Marlene said, admitting her mistake with that sentence.

"No." Katai said, holding him to her even stronger.

Barrett tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she raised her head and shouted at him,

"No!"

**"_No_."**

That last word was not said by Katai. It was not said by any of the people on the rainy plateau on the top of the mountain.

It was said by a voice so powerful, that the whole world probably heard that echoing command. It was said by the kind of voice that were you a Meteor, you'd do what he told you.

And it sounded a lot like Sether's, but not quite.

Act 2 

Sether was surprised to open his eyes.

At least he had the _feeling_ he was opening his eyes, but what he saw was just as dark as the inside of his eyelids.

The only indication that his eyes were open was the fact that he saw himself. He knew it was bad news when he noticed he wasn't wearing anything.

He would have blushed, if he had a beating heart that could stream more blood to his face, that is.

He felt like he was floating. Well, not exactly floating, more like descending slowly. Beneath him, apparently a great distance below, was a single green glow. It was the only thing in this place with no place in it, and he was descending towards it. This wasn't the _usual_ black void; this one was much warmer and comfortable.

He felt relieved, somehow. Death usually meant the loss of one's self, and here _he_ was, still aware of himself as the being that is identified as Sether.

There was also a great sense of loss. He will never see anyone ever again.

Not his parents,

Not… Katai,

Not… Anyone…

How could he not feel embarrassment, but he could still feel loss?

"Because this place is different than the living world."

Where am I? Why can't I talk?!

"You need vocal cords to do that… 'Where am I?', everybody asks the same question… Maybe I should put sign up or something."

I'm dead and you're joking. Who the Meteor are you?

"Watch your mouth. You humans call me The Planet."

So I'm really dead then?

"Did you have doubts?"

I don't want to be dead.

"You killed yourself, didn't you?"

I had no choice…! If I didn't do something, Katai would have done something stupid.

"Katai… She is your love?"

Sether paused a long moment, debating this with himself.

No, he though, she isn't.

"But you love her?" Before Sether's mental eyes appeared a picture. It was fuzzy, as if taken by a tired camera. He soon realized that it was Katai through his own eyes. She was looking down at him as she held him those last moments.

Her blue eyes concerned, her golden, messy hair around her face like a frame of pure gold.

The dark sky above her only worked to intensify her vivid colors. The image bit ferociously into Sether's heart.

"You love her?" The planet asked again.

Sether wanted to cry. He didn't want to be dead… How could he have no voice but still have tears?

"Because here you express the things that words cannot convey."

…Cid told me something similar.

"Don't change the subject, young man." A voice behind him said. Sether swirled himself around to see his father.

"An illusion." He said accusingly, and was surprised to have voice come out of his throat. He seemed to have stopped his descent.

"Answer me." His father said.

Sether looked down at the green glow. It didn't seem any closer than it was when he had first arrived. He was also wearing some white, loose clothes: the shirt was long and flowing, and the pants fallowed suit.

"How can I know?"

"When you love someone, you just know. So do you?"

"I don't know!" Sether shook his head in frustration, "What is this? Why are you asking me this?"

"When someone valiant dies," Vincent faded and the Planet spoke, "And they have a great wish, they are given a test."

I hate tests.

"Oh, put a sock in it." The Planet growled.

Sether was beginning to like the Planet's attitude. It reminded him of Sephiroth.

Where was he, anyway?

"Now answer me." A new voice said from behind him, Sether turned his head to see Cid behind him. He turned to him fully.

"How can I know?" He asked again with a helpless shrug.

"Do you want to be with her?" Cid asked.

Sether nodded. Cid disappeared and Shera appeared some distance away from where her husband stood. Sether turned to face her,

"Do you want to make her smile?"

Sether nodded again, his expression was slightly confused. Shera vanished as well.

"Do you want to kiss her?" This was asked by Katai herself, appearing on the opposite side of where her mother stood. She was wearing her white trenchcoat and her hair was long.

Sether gulped hard and… nodded.

"Then why didn't you?" She asked meanly, taking a few steps towards him. The apparition showed Katai in her most smugness. Sether took a few steps back.

"I… I don't know…" He muttered, looking aside and down, "You hated me, didn't you?"

Katai scoffed and tossed her hair,

"Of course!"

The apparition disappeared, and Sether felt his gut twist.

I want to see her again!

The Planet didn't answer.

"_I_ want to see Sakura again." Another new voice behind Sether said. He didn't turn around to face it, though. He just froze in his place, eyes staring ahead, wide and scared.

"I didn't want to die, either." Ryuto said.

Sether couldn't think of anything to say and did not move, so Ryuto circled him and stood before him. He was still around nineteen years old, just like Sether remembered him.

It hurt to see him.

"You dare to even think in Katai's direction?!" Ryuto pointed an accusing finger at the still warrior, and the later drew back as if a stone was thrown at him.

"You took my life, my future… my dreams, and now you dare think of Katai in your arms?!"

Sether shook his head miserably,

"I'm sorry…"

"What good does your sorry does me?! I'll never see her again!"

I want to see her too.

"I'm sorry…" He repeated, not able to look into his friend's eyes, "It was an accident…" He heard himself say.

It wasn't.

"Was that an accident too?" Ryuto pointed behind Sether, and he turned to see himself and Katai in the inn room at Corel. That time where Sether got so mad at her he nearly killed her. Only, in this ghost of a scene, he _did_.

"…Tha… That's not what happened!" He yelled, closing his eyes and placing his hands on his ears, not to see the lie, not to see the frail body killed by his Limit Brake Desire.

"This is what you wished had happened, isn't it?!" Ryuto accused again.

"No…"

"It is! You _wanted_ to kill her! You wanted her dead on the floor beneath you, don't you lie!"

"I'm not!" Sether shook his head fiercely, taking his hands off his ears. It didn't really help, in this place. "I never wanted to harm her…! That's why I didn't want her to come…"

"Liar! You enjoy killing! You like to feel powerful!"

"That's not true!" He yelled, feeling like a little boy, "That's not true… I hate my power… I hate that I can't laugh, that I can't get angry… I hate myself so much for everything I've ever done… I hate the 'gifts' I was born with."

…Dad used to call them 'gifts'. He used to believe that I could do whatever I wanted, that I was 'gifted', not 'freakish'.

"I'm so sorry, Ryuto…" Sether almost sobbed, "I'm so sorry…" He shook his head for a long time, not knowing what else to say.

"What does your apologies give me?" Ryuto spat, then turned away and left. Suddenly Katai was there.

"Good riddance!" Katai said. She clapped her hands together as if cleaning them and started leaving as well, "He was nothing but a violent brute! I'm glad he's dead!" Then she muttered, "…He dared to say that I kissed him, when the only man I could ever love is Ryuto- and he murdered him!"

Sether was on his knees, broken to pieces. He knew that this had not really happened, but those words still crushed him like Weapon's foot on his head.

And just to add some more salt to his open, bleeding heart, Planet threw in his parents.

They were sitting on invisible chairs, facing each other.

"Well," Vincent said, "It's about time he died, I'll tell you."

Lucrecia nodded.

"We gave him all the love we had, and how does he repay us? He just brings shame on the family name and kills his best friend. I'm telling you, I won't miss that ingrate a minute." Vincent got up and both left Sether in the darkness.

Stop it!

He was crying by now, bitter tears rolling silently down his cheeks.

He was all alone in the infinite darkness.

Stop it!

Damn you, that's not true! It's not!

"Than what is?" Sakura appeared out of the darkness and asked, "What is true?"

Sether shook his head.

"…I don't know…!" He then bounced to his feet, fists clenched, "But I'm not supposed to know! I'm supposed to live everyday of my life to know the truth, and that doesn't guaranty it either! Besides, my dad never uses contractions, and Katai wouldn't say things like that without cursing…! I know because…"

The green glow under him pulsated brighter. Sether shook his head and raved on,

"I'm supposed to live and figure things out, that's how I am! I have to try and find out where I belong in the world, who are my friends and what am I worth!"

The glow pulsated stronger.

"My life is not just actions and their consequences, I was wrong in that…! My life is what I make of the people around me, how I deal with things- it's not just a sin-and-punishment world…!" He started sobbing again. The chemicals and emotional barriers that were in his physical body weren't here to help him, "I don't like killing, and I do love my parents, even if I wasn't the easiest of children…" He sniffed, pitifully, not caring to save face. Technically, he didn't even have one here. The green glow grew stronger.

"I want to go back… I want to live… I… I want to look at Katai and understand if what I feel is love."

The green glow grew even stronger.

"…And if it is, then… I want to spend every moment of my life after that finding where my love and me belong in the world… Where and who will accept me…? Who will love me and why?"

The green glow now illuminated half of the darkness, and Sether continued, oblivious,

"I want to find out if someone can love me when I hate myself…? I want to find out why my parents still love me after all the pain I brought them… I want… I want…"

He sobbed, and the green glow was now almost everywhere.

"I want to know happiness, but I also want… To make the other people around me happy."

Flashes of Katai passed in front of him. He brought them, trying to see her again.

When she first met him, she gave him this mean little face.

He smiled.

Then there were those little pouts she'll do… That always was so… _Her_.

And when she smiled? The world just seemed to be filled with flowers. The innocent smile that made her sapphire eyes shine. And all those smug little looks from the bottom of her eyes… and the way her hair swayed when she walked and her body kind of bounced with it… her terrible singing… Her contagious laugh…

Sether smiled wider with the memories. The green glow around him was warm and calming. Sether closed his eyes, letting the remaining tears flow down his face.

"I… miss her." He said, and disappeared from the green glow.

Act 3 

He appeared again in another dark void.

…Huh?

"You passed."

What? Oh, the test?! I forgot it was a test…

"That was part of the point."

What now?

"Let me explain a few things before you meet Aeris-"

Aeris? I get to meet her?

"Yes- now shut up while I talk." The Planet gave the impression of clearing it's throat and started, "Yours is a valiant soul. That means that you get a wish."

…What sort of wish?

"Anything you want. You can even wish to come back to life. Everything's possible. But you get only one, and it must be something specific- you can't just wish for something vague like 'that everything will be okay' or something. Got it?"

Sether nodded, gulping hard. Then he ventured,

"Can I ask you some questions before I go meet her?"

Sether received the feeling of consent, as if the Planet nodded. He wondered briefly why did he have a voice again, but preferred that the Planet would not answer. He asked,

"Who are you, really?"

The Planet seemed to think about this a long moment,

"You might say that I am the collective consciousness of all the souls that have died. The Lifestream, if you will. I am the will of the living spirit in the world. Those who have already died and those who are yet to be born. Those who had just now passed away, and those who had just left the Lifestream to become living again."

"Will I become a part of this too?"

"Yes. Every living thing is connected to the Lifestream."

"What is Aeris then?"

"She is my representative. Since she is the last of her race, we agreed that her spirit will help me with the Planet running. It's nice to hear another opinion at times, and it's sure is hard to come up with new shapes for snowflakes all the time." The Planet paused a moment before continuing, "Her soul was one of the first valiant ones to have received her wish."

Sether nodded in understanding, though he was sure that the Planet did not see it, but felt it. There was a long pause.

In the complete darkness around, Sether could not comprehend the passage of time. It might have been a century, or a blink. It could have been anything in between.

"Time here," Planet explained, annoying Sether by reading his thoughts, "is different than it is 'upstairs'. Since the core of me is smaller and more compressed than the surface, time here is compressed as well. While you might feel as if several minutes have passed, it has only been a few seconds back on the surface."

"Stop reading my thoughts!" Sether growled. The Planet scoffed, and Sether smiled at this, "That's a silly thing to say; here you are made out of thought. Your physical body is still up there."

Sether wondered if there were worlds that have yet to discover what happened to you after you die. It must be dreadful, he concluded. In this planet people had a vague, yet certain idea of the after life. They knew about the Lifestream.

"Does the Promised Land exist?" Sether ventured.

"The Promised Land is what you create for yourself." Planet explained, "It is not a defined place, or time. It is the life you create for yourself while living."

"Ah." Sether's shoulders sagged slightly, "So I missed it, did I?"

"Most people do. They try so hard to be good to 'Holy' when they're alive, that they forget to be good to each other."

"I have another question." Sether said, looking about. It was hard to talk to something that didn't have a face.

"Spit it out, then." 

Sether hesitated a short moment before daring, "Sephiroth… He was the One Winged Angel, right?"

"That's correct."

"What am I?"

There was a long moment of silence after that. Sether feared that he might have offended Planet with that question, but before he would say anything, Planet replied,

"You are the one without wings. You are Zero. You…" He paused dramatically, "…Can fly without wings."

Sether smiled. 

He liked that.


	29. Sether: Risorgimento

**Risorgimento**

Act 1 

Aeris was smiling at him. That's the first thing his mind registered after blinking away from the Planet room.

She was beautiful, and looked surprisingly like all the stories he had heard about her. She was wearing white robes similar to Sether's.

"Hello, Sether." She greeted him with a nod of her head. He nodded back, not certain if he should bow or not.

"I'm here to listen to your wish." She said, her voice soft and comforting.

"Planet said that anything could come true…" Sether said, "Even coming back to life? Even making those who are still alive forget about me?"

Aeris nodded, and then added,

"But that's not what you are going to wish for." Her tone was somewhat sad.

Sether could not help but agree.

"Ms. Aeris, ma'am." He said with a resolute tone, getting down to his knees in a traditional Wutian seiza bow and bringing his forehead to the non-existent floor they were standing on, "I… I wish the release of Sephiroth's soul. So he might be able to choose for himself what will become of his spirit." He announced. His voice trembled only slightly in spite of the internal turmoil.

This was part of his insane plan.

Aeris watched him with compassionate eyes.

"That was very brave of you, Sether. I know your feelings for those who are still alive. You could have easily wished for your return back up, yet you are willing to give all that up for your brother…"

"I do not deserve to live." Sether shook his head, still bowing.

"Ya, you do." A familiar voice said. Sether gave a start at this and straightened. Ryuto was there.

"Hey." Ryuto said rather shyly. Waving his hand to Sether.

"R… Ryu…" Sether's eyes widened, and he bowed his head to the floor, "I'm so sorry Ryu… I'm… I'm so… You wouldn't believe… I'm…"

Both Ryuto and Aeris looked down at Sether with warm eyes. Then Ryu bent down before Sether and placed a hand on his shoulder,

"It's not your fault." He said.

Sether lifted his head with shock and blinked at the ghost in front of him, "But…!"

"It was an accident." Ryuto said with a smile, "I've been trying to tell this to you for years! But you would always continue to blame yourself…!" He laughed, and Sether's heart melted- how he missed Ryuto's laughter!

"Sether," Ryuto said, brown eyes twinkling gently, "It was an accident. You should never forget, but also never hit yourself on the head with it, if you do, you might loose sight of yourself; like I did when I gave in to jealousy."

Sether threw his hands around Ryuto's neck and hugged him tightly.

Ryuto soon disappeared from Sether's grip, and Sether's arms dropped.

"This is… Like a conclusion…? Of my life…?" He asked Aeris weakly. She nodded, and he got up, "…All this is just one big 'deus ex machina'…" He tried to regain his composure, "What about Sephiroth?" He half asked, half demanded.

Sephiroth appeared out of clear nothingness, plopping down hard on his behind.

"Aa!" He seemed surprised with his current location. He rubbed his behind vigorously and got up, cursing under his breath, "…When I get my hands on the Jenova I'll…-" That's when he noticed Aeris and Sether.

"Huh?" He blinked at them several times. Then he blinked at the white robes he was wearing, "What's going on here?"

"You're free." Aeris said.

He stared at her.

"Wha-wha-what?!" He rubbed his ears and took a few steps towards the Planet's representative and assistant in the snowflake department, "Did you say I was _free_? As in, liberated? released? democratic? Free to come and go as I please? Free as the wind? Free as a-"

"You heard the lady." Sether smiled, "I'm glad I got to see you again, oniichan."

Sephiroth then noticed his little brother. He noticed that Sether was wearing the same type of clothes like himself. He noticed that he was with Aeris as well.

He noticed, with much horror, that his little brother was dead.

Act 2 

"Sether! You can't do this to me! You can't die!" Sephiroth was shaking his brother's shoulders hysterically, "You're supposed to live! You're supposed to be with Katai! You aren't dead! You…" He hugged Sether. "I thank you. …But… Eternity? It's a small price to pay for my brother to be alive."

Aeris cleared her throat,

"It's been sealed, there're no ways to change it."

Sephiroth let go of Sether to pounce in Aeris' direction, "No! There must be something! There's always something! I won't let it!" He was hysterical.

A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, and he turned to see Sether's calm, sad eyes.

"Oniichan," Sether said, "I did what I thought was right. That's how we Valentines work, right? We do what we believe is true, and then beat ourselves on the head with it. But… This time…" He looked up, "This time I'm not going to regret it."

"Don't you want to be with Katai?!" Sephiroth accused, teary-eyed and grief-stricken.

"Yes," Sether nodded, "I do. But no one deserves to be alone forever, Seph, not even murderers."

With that statement, he also forgave himself.

Sephiroth was speechless. He looked at Aeris with venom, as if it was her fault, but she only smiled gently at him in return.

"Hey… Seph?" Sether drew his brother's attention. He then raised one finger up and closed his eyes lightly.

"The time is now." He said.

Then he started to glow a bright green, and from the glow small glowing particles started to part and swirled around.

He was returning to the lifestream.

"No…!" Sephiroth shook his head, "_No, no,_ _no, no_…!" He then extended his arm and released his will. The second most powerful will in existence. The will that could summon Meteor, the will that killed countless women and men…

He said, though his voice actually bellowed,

"**_No_****.**"

Act 3 

The green orbs wavered and halted.

Anything would stop at the command of this voice. Even life, and as it now seemed, even death.

However, it was taking the complete unleashing of Sephiroth's will power to keep Sether's spirit in its place. His teeth were clenched tight with strain, but still the glow would not return Sether.

Sephiroth growled a deep, angry growl and tried to squeeze his mind, tried to make the glowing green light retract and create the whole image of Sether once again.

"It won't work." Aeris said, her voice neutral.

"It will!" Sephiroth barked through his teeth, "It will!"

Aeris seemed compassionate, and did not try to stop Sephiroth's doing. She said,

"Your will is indeed powerful, Sephiroth. However, it is much easier to destroy than to create." She smiled, "One will can destroy the world, but one will can not return a single life."

Sephiroth would not give up. Without looking away from the glow, he hissed,

"What do you want me to do?! _Give up_?! Give up and let my brother die?!"

She smiled wider,

"Don't you feel it?" She asked, looking up, "All I'm asking you to do is let all the other people, all the other wills of the people join yours."

"Huh?" Sephiroth released his will's grip a little to discover that there was, in fact, more than his will at work.

"The combined wills of those who love him, and who want him back…" Aeris lowered her head, "The combined will power of all those people… It is stronger even than death."

Sephiroth smiled with rekindled hope and threw all his will back into the effort, this time with the rest of the souls that wanted Sether's return.

The orbs wavered again, and began a slow way back.

Vincent, Lucrecia, Sephiroth, Cid, Shera, Sakura-chan… Even Marlene and Barrett…

The orbs slowly returned to complete Sether's spirit once more.

Now, though Sether's image was filled, and he was not returning to the lifestream, he was not waking up either. He wasn't living.

"What's… What's wrong?" Sephiroth was beginning to tire, and Sether's spirit was still blissfully asleep.

"He doesn't think he deserves to live again…" Aeris whispered before taking a few steps towards the floating spirit.

"Why don't you want to return?" She asked, her voice calm and peaceful.

There was silence, and then Aeris tilted her head,

"But you do deserve to live, Sether, if only for the one you love."

Sether's eyes flashed open and he stared at Aeris. She smiled her ageless smile at him,

"She's waiting… Can't you hear her crying?"

As if on cue, two drops of water landed softly of Sether's cheek from no apparent source. Where the drops hit, the green glow faded.

Those were Katai's tears. 

She was shedding them back in the physical world.

He smiled at Aeris and Sephiroth one last time before shooting up, back into Katai's arms and the real world.

"Sether…?" The voice sounded miles away, but Sether was almost certain it was pretty close.

"You're… You're breathing?! Sether! _Sether_! **_Sether_**!"

He was being stared at.

He hated that.

"I…" His voice sounded hoarse and rough, his throat dry and stiff. His breathing was heavy; his lunges didn't really expect to start doing that again. Moving his limbs was totally out of the question. He tried again,

"I… Really…" He took in a ragged breath, "Cannot be dead… while you are staring at me… like that."

He opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful person in the world right above him.

Saying he felt like he had died and was seeing an angel would be totally incorrect in more than one way, but the relief that washed over his face at the sight of her made his heart soar higher than the heavens themselves.

He was in her arms, and she was looking at him with eyes red from crying. She was holding him closely to her, and he could feel her warmth spreading through his cold body.

His stomach was hurting, but Katai could testify that the wound that was only moment before fatal, was now nothing more than blood on his shirt. 

It was no more.

The expression on her face could only be described as extreme relief, but there was so much more to that expression that words cannot come to define.

She hugged him again tightly, letting whatever tears remained in her to fall as tears of joy onto his chest. He didn't care, really; it's not like his shirt was dry before.

She raised her head after some while and looked at him, happiness clear on her face.

_A miracle._

He still couldn't move, so he made no attempt to get up from her hold. His limbs were tired and numb, and every part of his body was either hurting, bleeding, or about to give him hell in the morning. He knew he could only stay awake for a few more moments before he'll have to get some sleep.

Not _eternal_ sleep, he was quick to add to himself, just a little nap.

"…Happy birthday." She sniffed; smiling, and her lower lip trembled with contained emotion.

He blinked at her several times.

He… Completely forgot… That it was his birthday.

Really! Now he had to live! You can't go and die on your birthday, now can you?!

It was 5:11 in the afternoon when Sether Valentine was brought back to life with the will power of love and friendship.

He liked that.

Lucrecia's tears stopped just as abruptly as they started, and she continued her sentence from two minutes ago, much to her husband's and his friends' shock.

Weapon gave the impression of sighing with content from the bottom of the sea.

It saw a little submarine pass by. The submarine had tiny things in it that waved at it.

It waved back.

With a great sense of relief, a great swell of happiness and a great warmth spreading through his tired limbs, Sether closed his eyes and fell asleep.

_________________________________________  
See? death isn't all that final. As The Tick once said: "Death is nature's way of saying 'try again'." @_@  
It's not over yet, though! There's still the epilogue to deal with, and of course, Sether and Katai need to be together, don't they? ^_^  
Oh, by the way; according to the Merriam-Webster dictonary 'Risorgimento' means 'to rise again'. What would you have done if this chapter was called 'staying dead'? ^_^; 


	30. Sether: Epilogue

Epilogue 

He slept for a couple of days straight. His leg was stitched and his body bandaged by the only doctor the Valentines trusted; the old doctor from Medeel and his apprentices.

When he woke up, he jumped out of bed right away.

He just couldn't stay in.

It has been almost a month now since the end of all the mess. The Valentines and the Highwinds resumed close contact and the Highwinds often flew over. Those were always fun times, even for Sether.

He felt healthier than he had felt in ages, and more happy than he could remember himself being since Ryuto died. His health returned to him quickly, and his leg hardly hurt anymore. He bore several scars, though. The one on his stomach, he knew, he would bear to the end of his days, but he didn't mind. It was a reminder of what he had done, what he had been through, and who he had become as a result.

He greeted sensai Yuffie and told her that he was interested in taking up the Masamune again. He wanted to learn how to control it, this time.

Sether did not see or hear from Sephiroth since that time with Aeris. He wondered if his spirit went into the lifestream or not. He vaguely missed his brother, and it was kind of funny to tell anyone about it; you didn't usually miss someone that died nine months _before_ you were born.

He didn't tell anyone of his experiences within the Planet, either. It didn't seem right, somehow, to tell.

Katai returned with her parents to Rocket City. A lot of people were worried about them there, and she missed home. What was left of it, at least. Their constant visits kept Sether from missing her, as much as he hated to admit to himself that her absence was hard on him.

Both the Valentines and the Highwinds were surprised at the changes in their children.

Katai was better behaved, kinder, and definitely gentler. She still had her own spark, of course, but…

Sether was gentler too, both physically and mentally. He tried very hard to forsake his days of self torment, and his eyes returned to something was not quite Seth-kun, but a lot happier than the old Sether's. He still had to control his emotions all the time, of course, but…

Katai had told her parent's and Sether's all that had happened in their travels. She told them this right after that big fight, between terrible hiccups and sobs. Half from the trauma of all that she had been through, half from relief that it was over.

Sether was practicing in the backyard; he had crafted an especially long training sword, a _Boken_, that could give him the general feel of the Masamune. He enjoyed wielding the weapon again, but wasn't confident enough yet to use the real thing around people.

It was a pleasant day; a chilly wind blew from the northern continent and contrasted the warming sun, slowly making it's way up through the lower parts of the east.

He counted his blessings with each swing of his sword. His thoughts often returned to the events, since they were still pretty fresh in his mind.

Jenova was gone forever; you can't go wrong with that.

The Sephiroth Clan, apparently, was held together by Luchian, and after his demise, the Clan simply dissolved.

Since it's people were mostly made out of fanatic people who enjoyed killing, they created something they called The YMCA, the 'Youngsters Monster Cleaving Association'. A group of young men and women that can be hired by various parties when they have a problem with local wildlife. Lots of violence, and they get paid for it, too.

Everything fell back into place, and Sether's life could return to its peaceful course.

Not quite.

There was still this little problem that nagged the lower part of his heart, and the better part of his brain. No matter what he though about, it never failed to bring him back to the same problem. His concentration was broken, and he lowered the Boken to the ground, leaning on it thoughtfully. The wind flapped his Gi and Hakama softly.

In some ways, this problem was bigger than all the previous put together, since it involved something that Sether knew nothing about. It didn't involve fighting and it didn't involve pure intellect either.

It was just a matter of people, and Sether never got along too well with people. 

Especially if he had to talk to them about himself. He always got lost there. Only a handful of people saw him as anything else than a… a 'third rate Sephiroth clone'…

He didn't even really understand what the problem was, but it bothered him, so he _considered_ it a problem.

He could sum it up in one word:

Katai.

He returned to life for _her._

Because he loved her.

And she was going to come over sometime today, as the Highwinds always did on Sundays.

He wanted to be with her. He really did. But every time she came over, the words would just stumble in his throat and he would promise himself to say it next time they came. Every time, though, something happened, and he never got around to it in a whole month. Also, when the two of them did get a moment alone, they would always end up fighting. It's not that Sether didn't enjoy the squabbles, on a certain level; it was nice arguing with someone that wasn't stupid or just plain out to hit him. That doesn't mean that he didn't get really annoyed in those arguments, or that she didn't really mean to annoy him. At first, when Katai would get tired of the argument, she would just resort to pulling his bangs and making him crash into the nearest furniture. However, it stopped when she did it and the stitches on his shoulder opened. He remembered that she felt really bad. Especially when he said to his father that _he_ made a sudden move, and did not blame Katai for the pain.

Sether sighed. He didn't know what to do, and he didn't dare to tell his parents about his dilemma, since they would try to marry them off. Sether wasn't ready to _marry_ her… Not yet, anyway. And he sure as Meteor wasn't going to tell her parents, he didn't come back to life just so that Cid could beat him dead again.

Sephiroth sighed with relief and happiness,

"I knew it would end good!" He chirped happily, not fooling anyone.

Aeris just smiled at him.

He looked around,

"So, what do you think I should do now? Maybe I could go get Sether's stick back from that babe with verbal problems… The umbrella is useless…" He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

Aeris raised one slim shoulder and twidled one of her bangs thoughtfully, suddenly looking not-as-innocent,

"You could stay here… I'm _terribly_ lonely…" Her voice was low and purring.

Sephiroth blinked at her several times before realizing that from all the dimensional sorceresses he met, the most beautiful one was standing right in his own world.

"Heloooo, Planet!" He suddenly smiled, and Aeris laughed, "If this is the afterlife, call me dead!"

Aeris laughed some more. It was decided that he would stay with her. Now neither will ever be lonely.

"Oh," Sephiroth scratched the back of his head, "Sorry about the stabbing-you-to-death-in-the-back-in-order-to-take-over-the-world-thing…"

She laughed again.

A familiar rumble made Sether look up, snapping from the strange relaxation that overcame him moments before, and he saw the Highwind pass overhead, Katai leaning over the railway and waving at him. He waved back. A mighty gust of wind followed the low-flying airship, blowing leaves into the air and fluttering Sether's ponytail.

They passed and went to find a good landing space on the edge of town. Sether returned himself and the Boken into the house and announced the imminent arrival of the Highwinds to his parents.

They came in with the usual fuss and noise that they usually came in with. The usually quiet Valentine couple greeted them with joy and hugs as if they didn't meet in years, when it was actually just a week. Their bond was fast and strong.

Katai looked around. She didn't see Sether. Shrugging, she excused herself and went to the bathroom.

Upon opening it, she yelped.

Sether yelped too. Luckily for him, he didn't get undressed yet. He was just beginning to undo his ponytail.

Katai stared at him. She never saw him in traditional Wutian clothing yet.

"Do you mind?!" He blushed.

"It's not my fault!" Katai snapped at him, yet did not move from the door in or out, "I can't believe you _still_ don't lock the $%^@ door!"

"It's my home, I don't need to lock anything!"

"Well, when visitors come, you _do_ have to, baka!"

"You're not visitors," Sether said in a calmer voice and a smile, "You're family."

She smiled at him.

There was a pause.

"Now get out!" Sether snapped at her with annoyance.

"What are you… wearing? You look kainda funny in a skirt and a jacket!"

Sether frowned, "It's not a skirt, you dolt, it's a _Hakama_."

"Eh?"

"And this is not a jacket, it's a _Gi_."

"Eh?"

Sether closed his eyes tiredly,

"Traditional Wutian training and fighting clothes." He explained slowly. He then opened his eyes and looked at Katai, who was still standing in the doorway, "I just finished training and didn't want to greet the guests all sweaty. Nobody likes a stinky warrior, remember?"

"Aww…" Katai came in and looked him over, "But you look so cute! Just like a little girl…!"

He glared at her. More correctly, he glared _down_ at her, making it clear that he was much bigger than she was.

"I'm not coming out like this." He pointed at himself, "It's bad manners."

"But we're not guests! We're family!" She laughed at his slight annoyance, and looked him over once again.

His crimson Gi was slightly open, exposing his fine collarbones. The Gi was tucked rather neatly in the black Hakama. He wore his hair in a high, tight ponytail.

He looked terribly Wutain, Katai thought.

"You looked terribly Wutian, I think." She said.

Sether smiled his lopsided grin at her,

"Maybe it's because I am 'terribly' from Wutai."

"Weeell… It might have something to do with it, now that you mention it."

They smiled at each other before he grew serious again.

"Now get out already! I want to take a bloody shower!"

He started to shove her out gently but firmly. She protested and tried to say that he looked pretty good in these clothes. He ignored her and continued to get her out the door.

Just as he was about to close the door and lock it, this time, Katai's hand grabbed the hem of his Gi sleeve. 

"Teach me."

"Huh?" He opened the door back a little, looking perplexed. Katai gave him a stern look.

"I want you to teach me some moves." He blinked at her, and she blushed only slightly before continuing, "I wanna learn how to protect myself and since you're already all stinky…"

Sether's face gave her an annoyed look for that last remark, but his heart was pretty confused. He didn't expect such a request.

At his hesitance, Katai tugged at his sleeve,

"I still owe you a good whopping, you know?"

He smiled and consented, never to be one to back off from a challenge… If you could really call it that.

This time though, Katai had a few tricks up her sleeves. _She_ wasn't the one to forgive and forget…

Sether wouldn't start teaching her anything before he went back into the house and kindly asked Cid permission to try and hit his daughter. He changed the words around a bit to make it sound safer. He got an affirmative answer.

"You know that… It's physical, right?" Sether cautiously asked Katai as they both stood apposed in the back yard. She rolled her eyes.

"You might get hurt, though I'll try that you wouldn't."

She scoffed,

"I can take on anything. Even you, fatso."

Sether choked,

"Fatso?!"

Katai fluffed her hair in a stuck up manor,

"Yup."

Sether crossed his hands over his chest, tilting his head slightly to give her a reproachful look. She laughed and he shook his head with slight annoyance.

He started by teaching her the very basics. How to stretch correctly and how to stand.

She listened attentively, and he enjoyed teaching. He also enjoyed the time with her, but he didn't say it.

She thought he was a very good instructor. Maybe he should work as one…?

"Hey, Seth?" She interrupted him. He gave her a quizzical look and she gave him a radiant smile that made him nervous, "You're a really good instructor!"

He smiled meekly at her,

"Teaching others how to protect themselves is one of my dreams." He said with pride.

"Really?"

"Yes." He nodded his head, "If I'll be a master of swords and martial arts, people would come and want to learn from me. They wouldn't care what I look like, they wouldn't notice I look like Sephiroth if I have something that makes me different from him."

Katai nodded her head, clearly impressed.

It was strange, training together. Sure, she used to ask him a lot of questions all the time about himself, but this was different.

It was the first time for Sether that someone that didn't learn at the Kisaragi School with him took active interest in what he did. She seemed really eager to learn, and Sether was happy with it. He enjoyed explaining things that didn't have to do with himself; not to talk about how he looked or what it was like to be Sephiroth's brother. He could just talk about what he thought he did best; fight. He could help other people and they didn't care what he looked like, when he talked.

"Aw, c'mon already!" She scoffed and fluffed her hair when he began to explain about the importance of concentration.

"I can beat you without even braking a sweat!" She laughed evilly.

"You keep claiming that." He sighed, "Prove it."

She blinked at him several times, and it was his turn to smile evilly,

"Or are you all talk?" Her eyes flared with anger, her nose wrinkling with agitation. He took a few steps back and turned to face her. She was smiling with confidence, even though her eyes were tinged with anger and mischief.

"You get one swing at me, and may not aim…." His face flushed slightly, "…at _sensitive_ places. I plan to have offspring, thank you very much." He cleared his throat with embarrassment.

"If I win," She smiled, "I get to yank your bangs, okay?"

He chuckled, "If I win, I get to go to the bloody shower." It wouldn't do to let her know how much he was enjoying himself. 

He prepared his stance, "Right."

She fluffed her hair one last time and gave another scoff before walking calmly towards her opponent.

"I love you." She said, and punched him lightly in the jaw. Needless to say that Sether did not even _think_ about blocking after her verbal attack.

His head was jerked slightly to one side, his eyes open as wide as they could go.

He seemed totally out.

There was a long moment of silence.

Katai placed her fists on her hips, face cherry-red,

"Well?" Her voice trembled ever so slightly as she pretended to be agitated, "Don't you have anything to say??" Her voice was strained.

Without a word, Sether wrapped his hands around her and brought her very close to him. She suddenly felt so tiny, between his chest and his large arms.

She lied, though: He wasn't stinky.

"…Ore mo aishteru." He whispered almost inaudibly, voice filled with emotion. She understood what he had said, and wrapped her hands around his chest with a sigh of relief.

I love you too.

After a very long time of being held such, hearing his heartbeats race and feeling his warmth, Katai mumbled,

"I think a passionate kiss would have been a more suitable answer, under the circumstances of the situation." The mischief in her little voice was unavoidable.

He lightly grabbed her chin in his large palm and tilted her head up, towards him.

The kiss that he gave her didn't lack passion, but it was infinitely gentle, and shy, and contained emotions far beyond mere passion. Katai couldn't help but melt happily with that kiss.

When they broke, she said with a big smile,

"Baka, _this_ is how it's done." She grabbed his bangs and quite violently pulled his face toward hers. The kiss was so powerful that Sether actually tripped backwards in surprise, Katai still in his arms.

Saying that they lived happily ever after would be a lie. 

Though the following facts _could_ be said:

Katai kept calling Sether 'baka'.

Sether kept getting annoyed by Katai.

Their parents weren't all that surprised.

Cid didn't beat Sether when he found out.

And yes, Katai Valentine _did_ sound nice.

Owari The end, but not really. 

In some ways, this is just the beginning.

__________________________________

It's been one 'Meteor' of a trip, hasn't it? I don't remember clearly, but I think it must be at least a year and a half of work. It's finally finished. What a strange feeling! Don't worry, though, Sether and Katai will be back, if you like it or not... ^_^; I hope to start working on several short stories about their life both before and after the game. Oh, the earlier chapters will probably be re-posted sometime in the future, since I've noticed some silly spelling and stucture problems.  
I don't think I even need to say that I'd love to know what you think of the end. It's been a massive project, and I think I've leanred a lot from him. I hope you enjoyed your meeting with the young man called Sether C. Valentine and the young Katai Highwind. I sure enjoyed writing those two, and I wanted to give a huge thanks and a mighty hug to everyone that helped me to get to where I am ^_^ : From Teka Valentine, that helped me in earlier chapters with my silly booboos, through D-chan and her always useful comments regarding sentance structure and plot building (Not to mention just listening to me babble endlessly about the million ideas for the Epilogue that I had...)... Umm... I'll have to thank Lunar Light, too, for inspiring me with her great writings... And all the people who wrote me to continue- Hontoni arigatou!!! Really thanks!!! I'm terribly sorry if I'm forgetting someone! I'm just so excited that I just wrote the ending, I'm not thinking clearly...  
Also, I'd like to wish Crystalis Blade and her mother the best. I wish I could somehow do more...

P.S.  
With all the default settings in Word, the story takes up 160 pages (!). Impressive, ne? The longest story I've ever written in my life- And all the credit goes to you, dear readers, since without you I could have never finished it in a bazzilion years... ^_^  
Thank you.  
LunarBlade.


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